Deception
by WriterFreak001
Summary: Masterminds of Deceit Part 1 - It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. [More inside]
1. Chapter 1

**WriterFreak001: **While this story is certainly not my first FanFiction ever written, it is definitely my first _Scorpion _piece. You may have heard of my works for the _Beauty & the Beast _fandom; since I love _Scorpion _almost as much as I love CW's _Beauty & the Beast _(don't judge), I thought I would give my imagination a go with a totally different sort of show.

By the way, I am not a genius by any means; this story is just for fun.

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong> Deception<br>**

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 1**

** ~ S****corpion ~  
><strong>

While the rest of the gang were downstairs working on their own personal projects, Walter O'Brien stood in the stairway with his arms crossed in front of his chest as he watched Ralph teach Paige how to play Chess. The kid was a natural; there was no doubt in his mind that Ralph would go far in life. He might even be the next Albert Einstein or even Bill Gates. Luckily for Ralph, Scorpion would be able to help him strengthen his mind. One of these days, Walter would like to test Ralph's IQ with simulations and see how smart the child truly is.

"Come on, Ralph," he heard Paige say as she picked up her son's backpack and handed it to him. "Time to get you to school."

Ralph's frown did not go unnoticed. Walter descended the stairs and made his way over to the boy. "Hey, Ralph; I have another riddle for you."

"Yeah?" Ralph's eyes lit up.

"Yeah," Walter smirked. "So, like last time, I want you to give me your answer the next time we meet, okay?" Ralph smiled so Walter continued. "If it has a quart capacity, how many pennies do you need to put into an empty jar?"

"That's easy," Ralph said as he swung his mother's hand back and forth. "The jar would only need one penny in order for it not to be considered empty anymore."

"Okay, okay," Walter nodded. "Technically, that wasn't the riddle I was going to give you; that was just a start-up to energize your mind. If you have an answer by the end of the school day, I might just take you out for ice cream."

"Walter!" Paige snapped. "Don't make promises you can't keep. What if we're on a case?"

"Then I'll take him afterwards." Walter said without blinking.

"And if I say 'no?'" She raised an eyebrow.

Walter knew Paige was trying to get everyone to eat healthier food, but statistically, one ice cream cone was not going to ruin anybody's diet. Well, except for Sylvester's…; usually one ice cream cone for him turned into four or five depending on how strong his appetite is.

Toby casually walked up to them and grinned. "You're not going to say 'no.'"

"Oh?" Paige challenged. "What makes you say that?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Happy chimed in as she continued to tinker with Cyclone's security system; Cabe had suggested they install a retina scanner to keep unwanted visitors out of the building and away from their expensive equipment. "He's a freakin' mentalist; no one can get away with anything with _him _around here."

"Hey, now, I resent that." Toby slowly drew his hands up into the air as he defended himself. "When Sylvester accidentally left the fridge open the other day, did I say anything? _Nnnooo_." Then, immediately, he smacked his head.

Everyone turned to Sylvester who was still working on his latest mathematical formula. Then he turned around, "Hey, Walt—why is everyone staring at me?"

"Toby can't keep his mouth shut." Happy said stoically. "Thanks for ruining half of our food."

Sylvester gulped. "I'll replace them."

"Aaaand I'll assist!" Toby said as he grabbed his fedora and placed it on his head. "Come on, Human Calculator – let's buy all of the junk food we can afford!"

As Toby and Sylvester left the Cyclone, Paige called out to them. "At least buy some veggies while you're –" The door slammed. "– out…"

"I wouldn't count on it." Happy muttered as Paige looked down to Ralph and smiled.

"They were right; I wasn't going to say 'no.' But you already knew that, didn't you?" Paige ruffed his hair as he grinned with a nod. "All right, my little genius; let's get you to school." As Paige turned around, Walter was scrawling something down on a strip of paper. He slipped the sheet into an envelope and walked back over to them.

"I wrote the riddle down and placed the piece of paper in here. When your recess comes, open the envelope up and read the riddle. When you have figured out the answer, write it down the first chance you get and then see if you can come up with your own riddle for me to answer the next time we meet." Walter looked up at Paige, "And, if your _mother _approves, all three of us," Then he remembered Drew as he looked back at Ralph, "and maybe your father as well, can all go out for ice cream. What do you think?"

Ralph smiled again and then looked at his mother. Paige mirrored the happy expression on her son's face. "I think he'd like that." Then she looked at the clock. "And we are going to be late if we don't leave now! Come on, Ralph; let's go!" As she hurried her son out the door, she turned back to Walter and said, "When I get back, we need to talk."

And then they were gone.

Walter frowned. What did Paige mean? Was she mad at him? Did he say something wrong? Walter tried analyzing the entire conversation, wondering what would have triggered Paige to say such a thing.

"If you think too much, Walter, you'll over-fry your brain." Happy said without looking at him.

As he started to make his way back up the stairs, Agent Cabe Gallo briskly walked inside Cyclone and said, "Busy?"

"Yes." Walter lied without blinking.

"Good," Cabe nodded. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Walter raised an eyebrow.

"I'll brief you on the way." Cabe replied as he started walking back towards the door.

"In case you haven't noticed, Agent Gallo," Happy finally looked up from her project, "three members of the team are currently unavailable."

"I realize that," Cabe replied. "I only need Walter for this case; it's a one-man's job. He'll be back later this morning."

"If it's security detail, perhaps Happy would be better suited for the assignment." Walter suggested.

"It's not security detail; if it was, I would be escorting Happy out of here; not you." Cabe Gallo tapped his sunglasses, and they fell over the bridge of his nose. "Let's go, Walter. Our client wants the best of the best, and until we can find someone who has a higher IQ than you, you'll have to do."

"No one has a higher IQ than me – at least no one alive." Walter blinked, not picking up on the nuance of Cabe's voice.

"A swing and a miss." Cabe mumbled.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Cabe shook his head.

As Walter followed Cabe, he turned to Happy and said, "Tell Paige we can talk after I get back."

"She may not be a genius like us, Walter, but I'm sure she's able to put two and two together." Happy rolled her eyes. "Go on, already. I want to see the look on Toby's face when I tell him you were abducted by the Feds."

"I'm not being abducted," Walter frowned.

"Today, you are." Cabe said as he grabbed Walter's arm and pulled him out of the building.

** **~ S****corpion ~****

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I figured this would be a good place to stop. Let me know what you think and if I should continue. :) I am open to all criticism. This is basically a tease chapter; if I get a significant amount of responses, I will continue. If I don't, then I will not bother posting any more for this story._ **  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**WriterFreak001: **Wow! I am most surprised by the number of reviews I received for the first chapter alone! I was not expecting that at all! O_O I know _Scorpion _has a strong fan following, but I wasn't sure how strong the FanFiction Fandom was. I don't know how often I will be updating as I am also working on two fanfictions for _Beauty & the Beast _on top of being a full time college student who is trying to survive her last semester. If you don't hear from me in a month, assume I'm dead and move on with your lives. I will be watching _Scorpion _from Heaven. Hee-hee. Now…, enough of my babbling, let's get to the good and juicy schtuff! :D

**Note: **Since I do not want to put the spotlight on real people in Los Angeles, I am making up names for officials like the mayor. Same would apply if I were to include the governor in future chapters.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 2**

**~ S****corpion ~**

"And I am here to fix this computer because…?" Walter was confused. Based on everything the mayor – of all people – had expressed, it seemed as though his computer could be easily fixed by having it taken into a mediocre computer repair shop. Cabe usually gave him and his team tougher cases – ones which typically take all of their minds together in order to solve. He could only think of two reasons as to why the mayor would go to such great lengths to have his computer fixed by – as Cabe had said – the 'best of the best.' If Toby were around, he would be able to figure out what sort of dirty deeds the mayor was up to in no time. But, unlike humans, computers – in Walter's experience – never lie. Information is always stored somewhere so if there was anything dirty the mayor was hiding in his closet, Walter would easily be able to find proof in a matter of seconds.

Cabe sighed. "We've been over this already. The mayor had certain confidential documents on his computer that need to be salvaged. It's your job to find the files without looking at them, transfer them onto his new hard drive and figure out why his computer crashed in the first place. That is all. If you find anything that could ruin the good mayor's reputation, I do _not _want to know about it. In fact, you're not even really here."

"But I am here." Walter blinked.

"I was speaking figuratively, you dumbass!" Cabe lightly smacked the back of Walter's head as they headed for the mayor's front door. "Just…do exactly as I have said: save the files and find the source of the crash." Cabe stopped Walter by placing a strong grip on his shoulder. "Repeat what I just said."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"It's a waste of time. You know I know what you said and asking me to repeat what I already know is completely redundant." Walter said in a stoic manner.

Cabe sighed and shook his head as he removed his hand from Walter's shoulder. "It amazes me how you have friends sometimes."

"My friends are mostly all geniuses. I can assure you they would all relatively say the same thing." Walter said.

"And that type of remark is exactly why I'm going to do all of the talking." Cabe said as Walter walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. They were escorted inside and led to the mayor's office. Cabe shook hands with the mayor, Colin Ryder, and thanked him for considering Scorpion for the project.

"Are you sure he is the right guy?" the balding mayor raised an eyebrow as he looked at Walter. "He's…young."

"Trust me, Mayor, Walter is the right man for the job. He might look and talk like a pompous ass at times, but he's fast and proficient." Cabe said with a chuckle. "We'll be out of your hair in no time."

"I'm counting on you, Gallo." Mayor Ryder pointed his pen towards Cabe. "If he screws up-"

"I won't screw up." Walter chimed in.

The mayor snapped his head in Walter's direction. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I won't screw up." Walter repeated. "Now, I suggest we stop wasting time and let me do what I came here to do. We all have busy lives, and Agent Gallo and I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties, Mayor." Walter smiled. In all actuality, it was the mayor who was keeping Walter from his own agenda.

Cabe grunted. "My apologies, Mayor Ryder. Mr. O'Brien doesn't always know when to keep his thoughts to himself. Perhaps if you explain what needs to be d—"

"No need." Walter cut in. "Like I said, we are wasting time here; if you let me see the computer, I can then diagnose the problem and see about saving your personal files onto your external hard drive."

The mayor looked over to one of his security guards and gave a slight nod. Another guard walked up to the mayor and whispered something into his ear. "Excuse me," Mayor Ryder said as he stood up, "I need to go and take care of some business," he pulled out his cell phone, "I trust that I can leave you two alone?"

"Don't worry," Cabe was frowning at Walter, "I'll watch him." As the mayor disappeared, Cabe smacked Walter's arm. "What did I say about me doing all of the talking?"

Walter turned to face him. "You talk too slow."

"You better do a damn good job to make up for your rather rude behavior. Once they bring in the computer, I don't want another word from you. Understood?" Cabe leaned back in his chair and crossed his knee over the other.

"Believe me, I won't be talking." Walter replied as the computer was delivered. Walter flipped up the screen and once it was booted up, he started tapping away on the keyboard. In seconds, he looked up and said, "Done."

"You're getting sloppy; you used to work at half-speed." Cabe said, unimpressed.

"No," Walter shook his head and then looked at Cabe. "You're just getting older and losing your sense of time."

Cabe sighed. "Why do I even bother?"

Before Walter could make another witty remark, Mayor Ryder made his way back. "You're already finished?"

"Yes." Walter nodded. "Are we done here?"

"Just hold your horses, O'Brien." Cabe placed a hand on Walter's shoulder. "Let the mayor breathe before you go off stampeding down the roads of Los Angeles."

"Were you able to salvage the documents?"

"Yes." Walter repeated his answer. "I sent them to the IP address of your new computer; they should already be there."

"How did you find out my IP address for my new computer?" The mayor's eyebrow raised.

"The less things you know, the better." Walter presented a dorky grin. "Anything else?"

"What caused the crash?" Mayor Ryder asked as Walter stood up and started walking towards the door.

"An excessive amount of viruses obtained over time through various pornographic websites you have recently visited." Walter noticed the shocked look on the mayor's face. It was not surprise from the allegation, but from the mere fact that Walter could find such information when it was supposedly deleted from all history. "Just remember, Mayor," Walter smiled, "when it comes to computers, _nothing _is ever gone." And with that, Walter walked out the door, leaving a very flustered Cabe to apologize for his misdemeanor.

**~ Scorpion ~**

After a mouthful from Cabe on the way back to Cyclone, Walter was surprised to find that Sylvester and Toby were still shopping. Paige, however, was sitting on the couch, reading one of those _Chicken Soup for the Soul_ sort of books. God forbid if Walter ever understood the purpose and concept behind books which had to do with feeding the soul and heightening the spirit. But, for some reason, he did noticed that Paige likes reading things like that; perhaps they were worth checking out? After that little appreciation of art experiment Paige had challenged him a few weeks ago, he had discovered that seeing and reading things of which Paige seemed to like helped him obtain a glimpse of how she saw the world. Sure, he didn't always understand half of the things she would read or appreciate, but it was well worth the challenge.

As he walked towards her, Cabe made his way to the fridge. "Where the hell happened to all of the food?!"

"Sylvester happened to it." Happy replied as she still continued tinkering with the retina scanner project. "He and Toby went to restock the fridge. Toby probably left Sylvester in the middle of LA to charm off some ladies with his annoying talents."

"Hearing you talk dirty about me is such a turn on." Toby beamed as he walked up to Happy and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to be jealous; there's plenty of love to go around."

Happy knocked his hand away from her shoulder. "Touch me again, and I will use this nail gun where it counts."

Toby took a step back and chuckled. "Oh now you're just being hot."

"When did _you _come in, Toby?" Walter asked as he noticed a certain someone was missing. "And where's Sylvester?"

"I came through the back door. Sylvester wanted to walk around to the front; he claimed the back door was too grimy for him. I even cleaned the knob with my spit, and he _still _wouldn't use it."

"Gee. I wonder why." Cabe rolled his eyes. He walked over to the front door and pushed it open. Sure enough, Sylvester came walking in with a handful of bags in his arms. As Cabe helped him unload the bags and place the food in the fridge, Toby continued to bother Happy and attempt to make her smile.

Walter turned to Paige; she was still engaged with her book. Instead of interrupting her, he decided to wait until she noticed him. He actually didn't mind watching her read. It was a pleasant sight. A few minutes passed before she finally looked up and saw him watching her.

"You wanted to talk?" Walter went straight to the chase. There was no point in trying to delay the inevitable.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Mind if we go for a walk? I need to stretch my legs."

"A walk sounds good." He shrugged. It seemed like a slow day so he wasn't worried about any upcoming cases. If Cabe had one for him, he'd find a way to contact him – he always did. As Paige slid on her jacket, Walter jammed his hands into his pockets and followed her out the door.

Until they reached Grand Park, they walked in silence and enjoyed each other's company. Walter wondered if Paige could feel the attraction too, but did not want to dwell on the thought. For, he had to remind himself, Drew was back in her life now. He didn't know what sort of relationship Paige was hoping to have with her ex-husband, but Walter did not want to get in the way of Ralph reconnecting with his father. After all, a father figure was an important role model for a young boy to have; aside from Cabe Gallo, Walter did not have much of a father figure growing up. Cabe was the first man to attempt to communicate with him, while his own blooded father really didn't know what to do with him. Had it not been for his sister, Walter would have most likely ran away from home when he had the chance.

Like Paige said the other day, Ralph needed stability – and if Drew was hoping to provide that for him, then who was Walter to stand in the way? When they reached a bench, Paige sat down so he sat down next to her but still kept a tiny bit of distance between them.

"I first want to thank you, Walter, for everything you have done for Ralph so far." Paige smiled as her eyes lit up with appreciation. "As much as I loved feeling special because I used to be the only one Ralph would speak to for the longest time, I'm glad he has a group of people whom he can talk to and be understood. He's actually starting to open up more, and I'm grateful he has such great role models looking after him and helping him get through the day."

"Ralph's a good kid." Walter replied and flashed a smile towards Paige. "I don't mean to sound arrogant, but he's very lucky to have Scorpion in his life."

"He is." Paige nodded in agreement.

"Ralph is still young enough that it's virtually impossible to know how smart he will become. Obviously, with your permission, of course, the team and I would like to see what he's capable of. Once we have a general idea of how high his intelligence is and where his intellectual strengths lie, we can then help him maintain as well as sustain his intellect as he gets older. Ralph is very unique, Paige," Walter smiled even more, "he has something in his life that neither one of us had had when we were growing up."

"A group of geniuses who are capable of communicating with him?" Paige laughed, and Walter joined her with a light chuckle.

"I was actually talking about you," He looked into her eyes, "Paige."

"Me?" Paige was taken aback. "How is that possible? I'm just starting to learn how to communicate with him."

Walter understood her confusion. "You keep him grounded, Paige. He seeks you for comfort, and you provide him with a sense of security. Like you said the other day, Ralph needs stability, and you are right. Stability has a very strong influence in a child's life. Introverted people like Ralph and Sylvester and Toby and Happy and me have a hard time connecting with others. Stability is what holds Scorpion together. And," he paused for a moment and inhaled a deep breath, "I don't want to get in the middle of whatever issues you have with your ex, but, in my opinion, you made the right decision in regards to Ralph needing stability."

Paige smiled at Walter's response. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome." Walter nodded. Then he looked at her again. "So. Was that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Not exactly."

"Oh?"

"I appreciate you respecting Ralph's budding relationship with his father, Drew, but I want to be clear about something. My life with Drew is over. What I mean to say, is, other than the fact that he is Ralph's father, my relationship with Drew will only remain as a parenting relationship. I have no intention of seeing where his return takes me. That being said, if you ever want to take Ralph somewhere – like an ice cream parlor or someplace else – don't feel as though you have to invite Drew to make it fair to him. If Drew wants to spend some time with Ralph, that's his business. Of course, until I find out how long he is planning on staying in the area, I'm not going to let Ralph out of my sight for an instant. I don't want him to get too attached to a man who might not be here the next day. What you share with Ralph is special, Walter. I know you feel protective of him because of how unique he is, and I appreciate it. That being said, don't let Drew interfere with the relationship you have with Ralph." Paige's eyes glanced at the trees for a moment and then returned to his. "Am I making sense?"

"I understand completely." Walter nodded.

Paige smiled and placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it. "Again, thank you."

"As I said before, Paige, both you and Ralph are a part of Scorpion – you two are as much a part of the cyclone as anybody else. That won't ever change." Walter said as the two of them rose to their feet and started walking back towards the Cyclone.

And somewhere, deep inside, Walter hoped it wouldn't ever change.

**~ Scorpion ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Just to let you know, I like taking things slow. So, we can all tell, there is some budding romance between Walter and Paige in the show; I do not want to disrespect the friendship they have so far. So, most likely, in this fanfiction, you will not see them jumping into each other's arms for a passionate and spontaneous kiss. That is just not what I see when watching their characters on TV. I try to stay as canon as possible, but seeing as __**Scorpion**__ is a freshman series and I have no idea where they are going with the character Drew, this is my take on who this Drew guy is. :)_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter all the same. _

_XOXO _


	3. Chapter 3

**WriterFreak001: **There weren't as many reviews for the second chapter; I'm beginning to think people didn't like it?

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 3**

**~ S****corpion ~**

When Walter and Paige returned from their walk, everyone except for Cabe was back to working on their personal projects. Happy had finally completed designing and constructing the retina scanner and was now testing it; whereas, Sylvester was extending his most recent algorithm. And Toby? Well, Toby was just being…Toby. For all Walter knew, Toby was watching porn or viewing an online Playboy magazine. Cabe, on the other hand, was standing in the corner of the Cyclone, talking to someone on his cell phone. For the most part, it was just another typical day for Scorpion – well, except for the lack of cases. When Cabe ended his call, Walter was hoping that someone needed them to do something. All of this slow-day business was too much for his fast-working brain. "Have a case for us?"

"Not yet," Cabe shook his head. "I'm going back to HQ to see if there are any cases worth snagging. All of you," his voice boomed as he looked at each and every one of the members of Scorpion, "behave yourselves." Then he looked at Paige, "Seeing as you're the most normal person here, make sure they don't do anything stupid."

"We're geniuses." Walter deadpanned. "We can't be stupid."

"Hah!" Cabe grunted. "As if I haven't heard _that _one before. Remember, Walter. Stupid is as stupid does." Cabe then looked at Paige again. "I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry; I'll make sure any _stupid _thing they do remains within these walls." Paige replied with a small smile.

"Good." Cabe nodded and then disappeared out the door.

"I thought he was _never _going to leave!" Toby called out as he stood up and stretched his back.

"That's funny," Happy said, emotionless. "I could say the same thing about you."

"You only say that 'cuz you liiike me." Toby chuckled as he walked over to Happy. "Admit it, you think I'm to die for."

Happy shifted her eyes towards him and then swung back to her project. "Unless you want me to drop this rather expensive, high-tech device, go and bother Sylvester for a change."

Toby chuckled and turned around, muttering to Walter, "She digs me; she just doesn't know it yet."

"Or, you're delusional." Happy said as she picked up the retina scanner device and walked out of the door. "Now make yourself useful, Toby, and help me install the scanner. I'll need you to hold the device while I bolt it to the door."

"Doesn't it need to be wired somewhere?" Toby raised an eyebrow.

"What century are you from? It's wireless. Once we input our data into the system, the scanner will send our retina information to the mainframe which will then trigger the new locking system I had installed a few hours ago to unlock the door. Think of the scanner as a key remote for a car." Happy explained. "Now, come on and help me before I decide to calibrate the system to go on lockdown every time you scan in your retina."

Happy disappeared behind the front door as Toby started heading in her direction. "Like I said," He turned around, grinning from ear to ear, "She wants me."

Once he was outside with Happy, Sylvester divorced himself from his chalkboard and walked over to Walter. "You think whatever's going on with them will eventually become a problem for Scorpion?"

Walter rubbed his chin as he replayed the scene inside his mind. He tried to see what Toby had seen but couldn't read the situation. To him, Happy seemed like her usual, impassive and detached self. Either Toby was being his usual, wisecracking self, or he legitimately saw something in Happy that no one else could see. Walter shook his thoughts away from him and then turned to Sylvester. "I don't think so." Even if there _was _something potential going on between Happy and Toby, Walter couldn't dictate the situation and not consider his own attraction to Paige. It was quite the double standard. To change subject, he glanced over at the chalkboard; there seemed to be much simpler mathematical problems written on the board. "So, how is that algorithm coming?"

"I actually finished it. The figures on the board are simple equations, but you already knew that." Sylvester said as he played with the white chalk in his fingers.

"Those don't look simple to me," Paige chimed in as she walked up to the board.

"I thought I would leave those up for Ralph," Sylvester explained while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I figured he would want something to do once his homework was finished. That is, if you are planning on bringing him over here after school."

"I think he'd like that." Paige smiled. "It would be interesting to see what his limitations are."

"My thoughts exactly." Sylvester beamed. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I am going to go and see if Happy and Toby need any help." As he headed for the front door, Walter walked over to Paige and watched her as she marveled at the formulas Sylvester wrote for Ralph.

"Out of curiosity," she said without turning to look at him, "What are these formulas for, exactly?"

Walter stepped closer to the board and pointed to the one on the top left. "All of the equations on the top are algebraic, while the ones on the bottom are various calculus derivatives. This one, A²+ B² = C², is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. Pythagoras noticed that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the legs of a right triangle. It's just a simple calculation in terms of figuring out the length of the sides and the hypotenuse of a right triangle. The equation in the middle of the top line is a quadratic equation; there are multiple ways of factoring the equation, but the most commonly used formula mathematicians utilize in order to factor the equation is the quadratic formula. Sylvester didn't write it down because he wants to see if Ralph can figure out how to solve the problem without external aide, but, in case you're curious, the quadratic formula is," he began to write it underneath quadratic equation, "[(-b±√(b²-4ac))/2a]."

"Wow." Paige muttered before Walter continued explaining all of the other equations. As difficult of a task it was to explain such simple problems in a language Paige would somewhat understand, Walter found her curiosity for a strong passion of his an attractive quality of hers. By the time he was finished, Happy, Toby and Sylvester were back inside Cyclone. After Happy had everyone stare into the scanner so the device could configure their individual retinas, she started tinkering with self-built camera monitors that she planned to install around the perimeter of the building, and Toby was back on his computer doing only God knows what. Sylvester was on his own computer creating simulations for a rainy day.

Paige sat back down on the sofa and continued to read her _Chicken Soup for the Soul_ book, while Walter went upstairs to work on his experiment with Cabe Jr. Surprisingly, it was a very slow and lazy day; Walter couldn't believe that there weren't any _real _cases for them solve, yet he was sure the others weren't complaining for the day off.

"Having any luck with Cabe Jr.?" Paige asked as she made it up the stairs, breaking him from his concentration.

"Not yet…." He was frustrated. His sister's life depended on his results. The last time he visited Megan, her condition had not worsened, but there was only a matter of time until it does.

"Hey," Paige casually placed her palm on his arm, "If anyone can find a way, you can, Walter." She smiled and then slowly drifted her hand away from him. "I came up here because I'm heading out to pick up Ralph. I figured you'd like to tag along – especially since you promised him ice cream."

"Okay. Sure." He nodded and then followed her down the stairs and out to her car.

**~ Scorpion ~**

As Walter stood beside the van, he watched Ralph as the young boy clung closely to his mother as they headed his way.

"Hi Walter." Ralph grinned as Walter bent down and ruffed his hair.

"Were you able to answer the riddle?"

"Yes." Ralph nodded. "The answer is Queue because if you take away the last four letters, the letter, Q, would still be pronounced the same way as its homophone."

"Impressive." Walter said in response. There truly was no end to this boy's intellect. "Did you come up with a riddle for me?"

"Yes." Ralph replied as he handed Walter a piece of paper. Walter read over it and thought it was a promising start for Ralph's first riddle.

"What does it say?" Paige asked as she placed her hands on her son's shoulders.

Walter read it out loud: "The person who makes it, sells it. The person who buys it, doesn't use it. The person who uses it, doesn't know it."

"Do you know what it is?" Paige asked. "I'm stumped." She was proud of her son by the tone of her voice.

"Yes. I do." Walter nodded. He pulled out a pen from his shirt pocket and scribbled down the answer. He handed the paper back to Ralph and watched the child beam with happiness. Walter answering the riddle effectively meant ice cream – an outing, from what Walter could tell based on the boy's expression – in which Ralph had been waiting for all day.

"What's the answer?" Paige asked, intrigued.

Walter shrugged. "The answer was pretty straightforward. Ralph," he looked at the boy, "Why don't you tell your mother the answer to your riddle."

"Okay." Ralph nodded. He looked up to his mother and leaned his head against her belly. "The answer is a coffin."

"Well," she smiled and gave her son a hug. "I'm certainly impressed."

"Thanks, Mom." Ralph said as Walter rose back up and opened the car door for him. Ralph climbed into the car as Walter and Paige hopped into the front seats. Paige pulled out of the parking lot, veered left and then headed for the ice cream shop.

**~ Scorpion ~**

* * *

><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I decided to end the chapter here because I have a lot planned in the next one. I didn't want to overload this chapter too much, but I try to write at least 5 pages per chapter to give it a good amount of reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter; more to come! By the way, the synopsis is subject to change. The story might be around the same premise but most likely will be slightly different. _

_Have a good night! Let me know what you think about the characters and whether or not you think I'm writing canon.  
><em>_Also let me know if you want me to write longer chapters. I can do it, but it would mean fewer frequent updates. _

_Follow me on Twitter ( WriterFreak001), Tumblr (WriterFreak001) and Facebook (WriterFreak001). _


	4. Chapter 4

**WriterFreak001: **

You guys are in for a real treat! And I'm not talking about ice cream, LOL.

I just got home from seeing Christopher Nolan's _Interstellar _– which is a phenomenal movie, I might add – and was inspired to add more to the story! Elyes Gabel (who plays Walter O'Brien) stars in _Interstellar _for approximately 5 minutes towards the end of the movie. My night was made! :D (which is kind of funny because, during the movie, I kept on thinking of _Scorpion_). Who knew!?

**To the reviewer who was wondering about the education system in America: **I am not sure how other countries handle education, but America has an interesting public school education system, to say the least. Not every student is required to take the same math classes. When we are in the last year of junior high (8th grade), we are required to take a special examination provided by our local public high schools. Some exceed expectations and take higher level (advanced geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus) mathematic courses during their freshman (9th grade) year of high school, while others either meet the expectations and either take classes like advanced algebra or honors algebra as a freshman, or they take very easy math classes like a simple level of statistics or pre-algebra.

Because Paige did not recognize the fact that her son was a genius, I assumed she was one of those students who wasn't good at mathematics or any of the sciences. She seemed more right-brain dominant since she has a passion for paintings and art.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 4**

**~ S****corpion ~**

"What kind of ice cream do you want, sweetie?" Paige asked her son as they were waiting in line at the ice cream shop.

"Vanilla." Ralph replied quietly as he looked at the menu.

"What about you, Paige?" Walter inquired as they moved up in line.

"Oh, don't worry about me. This is your treat to Ralph." Paige smiled with a chuckle as she squeezed Ralph's hand.

"Paige," Walter crossed his arms in front of him as his mind tried to analyze the situation. Why would she not want ice cream? Did it have something to do with him? With his company? Did she still feel like she wasn't part of the team? That she felt left out? He could have sworn they had discussed this at the park earlier in the day. Was there a communication error? Oh what he would do to have Toby with him to help him read what he apparently couldn't. "If I wanted to treat Ralph and not you, I would have offered to pick him up at school instead of tagging along with you." He looked at Ralph and then back at Paige. "You and Ralph, to me, are a package deal." He slightly smiled, wondering if he was coming off as rude or insensitive. "Now, I'll ask you again: what do you want?"

Paige wrinkled her nose as her lips curled to a soft smile. "Nothing seems to get past you, does it Walter?"

"You can thank Cabe for that." Walter replied in a stoic manner. "He's the one who taught me to stand my ground and fight for what I believe in. Don't tell him this, but if it wasn't for his advice, Scorpion wouldn't exist. Well, it wouldn't exist in the same fashion, at least." As they moved up in the line once more, he added, "You're deflecting the question, though."

Paige chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Vanilla."

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Walter smiled. He pulled his wallet out and handed Paige a twenty. "I've learned in past experiences that it is always best to let a _normal _person order food and whatnot. I tend to…overanalyze the geometrics of everything around me when I stand in one place too long. Doesn't always bode well."

"Why don't you and Ralph go and claim that table over there while I order, then?" Paige offered and Walter nodded.

"Seems like the most practical thing to do." Walter said as he placed his palm on Ralph's shoulder. As he started walking away, he turned around and said, "Chocolate ice cream cone with two scoops."

"Good deal." Paige replied as he turned back around and walked over to the table in the shade. Ralph sat next to him. As they waited for Paige to return with their orders, Walter gave Ralph another riddle to solve; it took a matter of 45 seconds for the boy genius to figure out the answer, and by then, Paige had returned with the ice cream. She gave Walter his cone and placed a small bowl of vanilla ice cream in front of Ralph. She, too, had a small bowl of ice cream as well.

Walter noticed Ralph staring at the table. "What are you seeing, Ralph?"

"Based on the distance we are sitting apart compared to where Mom is sitting, the three of us form a perfect isosceles triangle. If you and I were to increase our distance by six inches, we would then be forming a perfect equilateral triangle. If Mom was to move one foot to the right or to the left, we would then be considered scalene." Ralph replied, causing Walter to chuckle.

"See what I mean about over-analyzing geometrics?" Walter looked at Paige. By the look on her face, she appeared to be surprised of as well as happy for her son's intelligence. It would seem as though she was still getting used to the fact that Ralph was incredibly special. After Walter and Paige finished their ice creams, they were waiting on Ralph to finish his.

That was when Walter spotted Drew walking towards them. "Paige."

"Hm?"

"Why is Drew on his way over here?"

"What?!" Paige whipped around and saw her ex-husband making his way over to them. She frowned and rose to her feet. "Would you excuse me for a second?" Before he could respond, she marched away from the table and blocked Drew's path from approaching Ralph. Both Walter and Ralph watched the scene unfold and tried analyzing the situation. "What are you doing here?!"

"I wanted to spend time with you and Ralph." Drew explained. "It's been two days since I last saw you two."

"Drew, I told you I would call, didn't I?"

"You did."

"Then wait for my call; Ralph is spending time with Walter right now." Paige said, causing Walter to grin a little.

"Walter…, as in Walter, your boss, Walter?" Drew raised an eyebrow.

"He isn't my boss…; I mean, he is sort of my boss but not really…. It's kind of hard to explain." Paige replied and shifted her weight to her left as she crossed her arms. "In any case, Walter was the one who discovered how special Ralph is."

"He is, is he?"

"Yes. Wait, why are you even interrogating me? You lost that right, remember?"

"Paige, I just want to spend some time with my son." Drew sounded defeated.

"I know. I know you do, but not today. Today, he is spending time with Walter. Unlike the two of us, Walter has a unique way of communicating with Ralph." Walter noticed how Paige almost smiled at the thought. He couldn't help but smile somewhat too.

"What does Walter have that we don't?" Drew challenged. "We're Ralph's parents – not this _Walter_ guy. What's more special than the basic family unit?"

"Try a 197 IQ." Paige answered rather quickly. "Walter, if you should know, is the fourth most intelligent person ever recorded; he's the most intelligent being alive. He is able to connect with Ralph on a genius level – and except for me, Walter was the first person Ralph had ever spoken to without speaking to me first." Paige turned around to leave, but Drew grabbed her arm. Walter almost jumped up to say something, but Drew quickly released her.

"Paige, isn't this all too confusing for Ralph? To have me as well as another fatherly figure in our son's life?" Drew was trying _anything _to convince Paige to let him spend some time with Ralph.

"Why does it even matter, Drew? You said you were only going to be in town for a few more days. No offense, but I would rather have someone in Ralph's life whom I and Ralph can count on to be there if needed." Paige sounded frustrated. Walter was tempted to leave and take both Ralph and Paige away from the ice cream shop. Clearly, Drew was not wanted right now.

"That's just it, Paige. I decided to stay in LA indefinitely." Drew said with a smile. "Like I said before, I want to connect with my son; I am willing on staying here for a while until you trust me enough to have him visit me without your supervision."

"Ralph is not a trophy, Drew. You shouldn't have to try and win him over. Just…just give him time; if he wants to spend some time with you, I won't stop him, but you need to learn how to be patient and less impulsive. No more stalking me or looking up my location in order to see Ralph. If you want to schedule some time with him, call. Okay?"

Drew seemed defeated. He sighed. "Fine."

"Good." Paige heaved a frustrated sigh as Drew turned around and left them be. Paige walked back to the table, and apologized. "Sorry about that…. I'm sure he means well…."

"As I said before: 'moving forward and no more interfering.'" Walter said with a light smile. "Let's get back to Cyclone and see if Cabe has any cases for us."

"Sounds good to me." Paige grinned and took Ralph's hand.

They walked back to the car, and Walter said, "Let me drive; you look like you could rest a little." He could tell how exhausted she was after that heated conversation with Drew. Also, for Ralph's sake, it wasn't wise to drive when in a bad mood. Thinking from experience, things could happen when people are reckless.

"I'm fine. I can drive." Paige said as she helped Ralph into the car.

"Paige," he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Let me drive." He was not offering anymore; he was commandeering her vehicle. Giving in, Paige handed him her keys and then hopped into the front passenger seat.

They rode the rest of the way to the Cyclone in awkward silence.

**~ Scorpion ~**

Walter watched as Ralph walked directly to the black board; within fifteen minutes, all problems were solved correctly; there wasn't a single error in Ralph's calculations.

"That's amazing, Ralph!" Sylvester smiled as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Most kids your age wouldn't even be able to solve any of those problems. And you did, in record time!"

"Maybe it's because he's not like most kids his age," Toby said as he stated the obvious.

"You know what I mean." Sylvester replied. He helped Ralph erase the board and then handed Ralph a fresh, new piece of chalk. "Write away." Ralph smiled and took the chalk. Then he started writing a long calculus equation.

"I saw this equation online a week ago and wanted to solve it. I tried to work on it in school today, but my teacher caught me and claimed I wasn't paying attention. I told her I didn't need to pay attention. Then she gave me detention." Ralph said as he looked up at Sylvester.

Walter felt sorry for the kid; it was only going to be the beginning of a long chain of detentions. Teachers think they're so smart, but they really don't realize how dumb they actually are until they meet a genius like Ralph. Like all of them. He walked up to Ralph and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Happens to the best of us, kid."

As he made his way over to Paige, Ralph returned to the equation in the blackboard. "How often is Ralph put in detention?"

"This is the third time this month," Paige sighed. "I've tried convincing the school board to place him in a higher level class, but – unfortunately – they do not have the resources to do that. They don't recommend placing elementary school students in junior high classes or higher; the child would be out of place and might develop poor social skills."

"Worse than what he already has?" Walter sighed. The education system in America was a pain in the ass – maybe even more so than the schools in Ireland. "They can't hire an independent high school teacher to give Ralph lessons more equipped for his intellect?"

"Unfortunately not." Paige frowned. "The only way Ralph can go to a higher education system is if I take him to a very expensive, private school on the other side of LA. I checked the wait-list, and there are more than a thousand kids signed up. I can't just take him out of the school he goes to in hopes that he would make the cut." She sighed. "So, for now, he will just have to bear the insolence of his teachers a while longer."

If Scorpion wasn't dealing with cases almost every day, he would offer to give Ralph private lessons, himself, but he could not make a promise he could not keep. "Well," Walter looked at Ralph and then at Paige, "Ralph is always welcomed here to improve his intellect after school and when we're not on cases."

"Thanks," Paige smiled. "I'm sure he'll like that."

"Hey," Happy chimed into their conversation and looked at Paige. "Mind if I test Ralph's memory by letting him play with the game I rigged for Sylvester the other day?"

"Sure. Knock yourself out." Paige nodded. "Just don't bet on him like you placed bets on Sylvester."

"Cool. All right; this is going to be interesting." Happy said before she walked off to fetch her game.

"You think Ralph has a better memory than Sylvester?"

"There's only one way to find out." Walter chuckled lightly as they walked over to Ralph. Paige left momentarily to the bathroom as everyone quietly placed bets on the boy.

"I'll put in a minimum $50 if he remembers less than half of the sequence." Toby challenged.

"I'll raise the stakes." Happy said as she handed a roll of three fifties to Toby. "If Ralph remembers the sequence within the upper half of the percentage range, and I win, everyone who bets has to give me $150 each.

Toby groaned and pulled out another two fifty dollar bills from his wallet. "Sylvester?"

"Guys, Paige said _not _to bet on Ralph. We should respect her wishes." Sylvester placed his hand on Ralph's shoulder. "Come on, now. We have a young and innocent participant here who does not need to be exposed to the world of gambling."

"Puh-lease," Toby rolled his eyes. "The kid's a freakin' genius; he's either going to be exploited for gambling purposes or he's going to end up like me and gamble and win millions." Everyone smacked Toby's fedora.

"Which almost cost us our lives, might I add." Happy reminded him.

"Hey! It all worked out in the end!" He took his hat off, smoothed out his short hair and then placed his fedora back on his head. "You placing a bet, Walter?"

"Sure."

"So will you keep the stakes or raise them?" Happy asked.

Walter heard the door of the bathroom open. Quickly, he spoke in a low tone, "I have complete faith in Ralph. Raise it $300." He quickly tossed in $450 towards Toby.

"Jeez, man!" Toby pulled out his wallet again and add another $300 to the collection as Happy did the same. Toby leaned down to Ralph and whispered, "Let's keep this little money thing between the geniuses." Toby then rolled the bills up and pushed them into his pocket right before Paige walked out of the bathroom.

Happy set up the game as Sylvester instructed Ralph on what to do. Once the game was ready, it started quickly playing the randomized color pattern Happy had installed into the game. Then an electronic voice said, "Begin." Ralph began hitting the game like a little boy banging on a piano. He managed to smack down 80% of the sequence, which, for his age, was more than impressing. "With more practice," Walter smiled, "Ralph's memory could be stronger than Sylvester's."

Quietly, Toby slid a wad of cash behind his back towards Happy. His not-so-slight gesture did not go unnoticed. "Hey," Paige grabbed the cash out of Toby's hand, "I thought I said not to gamble on my son." She wasn't mad or angry, just a tad annoyed. She was too impressed with Ralph to be completely angry. In fact, based on her expression, she probably would have placed a bet on him herself had she wanted to.

"We weren't gambling…." Toby quickly replied. "We were just…, comparing Ralph's memory to Sylvester's. You know, money is a great incentive, these days. Besides, in my defense, I had total faith in the boy."

"Correction," Happy took the money from Paige and placed it in her pocket, "You thought Ralph would only memorize the first 50% of the sequence; _I _was the one who thought he could achieve within the top half of the percentage range."

Ignoring Toby and Happy's bickering, Ralph looked at his mom and then at Walter. "I remember the whole sequence." Toby and Happy stopped arguing and looked at the boy. "I stopped because my hands were tired." Walter smirked. He had complete faith in Ralph and knew he could remember the entire sequence. After all, he had seen first-hand of what the boy could do. "If you need proof, I can write down the rest of the sequence on the board."

"That's not necessary," Paige bent down and hugged her son. "I believe you."

Walter walked over to Happy with a smug grin. "I believe that belongs to me," he extended his hand in front of her. Happy frowned and dug her hand into her pocket before smacking the money down on Walter's palm.

"Not you too, Walter," Paige sighed. "And here I was thinking you were as innocent as Ralph."

"Innocent until proven guilty." Toby muttered, but everyone heard him loud and clear.

"I believed Ralph had it in him to remember the entire sequence. I didn't see the harm in gambling since," he looked at Happy and Toby, "the one with the 197 IQ is usually right."

"Cockiness is not an attractive trait, Walter dearest." Toby patted his friend's shoulder and then whispered, "Might I suggest a gamble spree to ease that _obvious _tension of yours?"

"No!" Happy, Sylvester and Paige shouted. They all knew what happened when Toby went gambling – and to bring Walter in on it? With two minds like theirs, God only knew what would happen.

"Jeez, I was _just _kidding. Leave it to a room of geniuses to figure _that _one out." Toby threw his hands up into the air and then stomped off to his computer. Happy walked off to tinker with her old, rusty car and Sylvester decided to play a game of Chess with Ralph. Paige sat next to Ralph and watched the game take place. Walter walked over to Toby but didn't say anything. Toby glanced up from his computer and then leaned back into his chair. "And what can Toby the Great do for Walter O'Brien today?"

"Why are you speaking about yourself in third person?" Walter raised an eyebrow.

"It's a – never mind." Toby closed his eyes, counted to three and smiled. "What can I do for you, Walter?"

"You've already asked that…."

Toby rolled his eyes and slumped his head into his hands. "Just answer the freakin' question!"

"Okay," Walter nodded. "What did you mean a few minutes ago by 'tension?' I wasn't tense."

"Maybe not up here, you weren't." Toby tapped his temple and smirked.

"I'm not following."

Toby paused for a moment before speaking. "Every guy in the world – well, mostly every guy – have two brains, Walter."

"No. We only have one brain which has two distinct lobes." Walter answered stoically.

"I know that, Walter. I know that. Just…think figuratively for five minutes for me, okay?" Toby took a deep breath and waited for Walter to respond.

"You have my undivided attention; I will try what you ask."

"Good." Toby smiled. "Like I said, _figuratively_, mostly every male has two different brains. We've got our big brains," he pointed to his head, "and then we have our _little _brains." He gestured below.

"I think I see what you're saying." Walter mused. "Figuratively, I mean. Because, in all actuality, our masculine genitalia responds to many regions in our brains for sexual function and direction." Walter's facial expression hardly changed.

"Yes, Walter. I know that." Toby said slowly as he nodded his head. "Listen," Toby leaned forward, "I've seen the way you look at Paige; you show more facial expressions around _her_ than when you do when you're drunk off your ass. The tension I sense within you is surrounded around your _little brain _if you catch my drift." Toby's smile could light up the room. Walter looked at Paige, she smiled, and then he looked back at Toby.

"I'm going to go upstairs and continue working with Cabe Jr."

He whipped around and started walking up the stairs, ignoring Toby's last, sing-songy comment, "Denial is not an attractive quality either, Walter."

**~ Scorpion ~**

"May I help you?" Walter stood at the doorway to the Cyclone as Drew stood outside in front of him.

"Walter, right?"

"Yes."

"Is Paige around?"

"No." he shook his head. "She and Ralph have gone home for the night. Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly," Drew scratched the back of his head. "I was hoping to spend the day with Ralph tomorrow so I thought I would go and ask her."

"Ralph has school tomorrow." Walter replied stoically. He didn't like the fact that Drew was always showing up instead of simply calling Paige's cellphone from a respectable distance.

"Right," Drew chuckled. "I forgot how big he's grown."

"Maybe if you did not abandon Ralph and Paige for your baseball career, you'd be able to remember simple facts like that." Walter said out of spite. He didn't care _who _Drew was, he was going to speak his mind.

"Fair enough," Drew laughed lightly. "I deserved that. Paige told me how protective you are of him – of Ralph, I mean. And rightfully so. I'm glad he has a strong male figure in his life." That's funny, Walter thought. Earlier, when Drew was speaking to Paige, he had mentioned how he thought Walter's presence would only confuse Ralph instead of help him.

"I'm sure." Walter inhaled a deep breath. "Anyway, Paige isn't here; you'd have to come back tomorrow if you want to speak t—"

"Drew?" Walter froze when he heard Paige's voice sounding off from the alley. "Drew, what are you doing here?"

"Walter said you left." Drew frowned.

"I did. I," her eyes flicked towards Walter, "forgot my jacket."

"So you left Ralph alone to retrieve it?" Drew accused.

"What? No!" Paige fumed. "First of all, you have no right to judge my parenting skills when you barely have any. Second, he's not alone; my neighbor is watching him for me. Third, what did I say about not showing up unannounced?"

"You wouldn't answer your cell phone." Drew shrugged.

"I said _I _would call." Paige looked up to the stars and then back at her ex. "You can't assume that your sudden appearance changes everything. It doesn't – not really. I told you that you can have and build a relationship with Ralph on my terms; I am still the one in charge here when it comes to Ralph. You lost that privilege years ago."

As Drew started to speak, he looked back at Walter and then to Paige.

"Walter, could you please excuse us?" Paige asked in a nicer tone of voice then what she was using with Drew.

"Okay." Walter nodded and then walked back inside the Cyclone. However, he did not drift far in case Paige needed him for any reason. Paige and Drew bickered for over half an hour until she finally came inside the building, frustrated beyond belief. Walter walked up to her and handed her her jacket. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Unfortunately, no." Paige sighed. "But thank you." She slipped on her jacket and then, to his surprise, kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Walter." She raced out the door without seeing his expression as he stood there, frozen, in the middle of the Cyclone.

Toby whistled. The others weren't even paying attention. Walter just stood still for a good five minutes before heading back up the stairs before Toby could make another sly remark.

He needed to think.

**~ Scorpion ~**

* * *

><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Like I said, a lot of things was going to happen in this chapter. I can't remember if Toby, Happy, Sylvester and Walter live at the Cyclone or if it is just a place they work at. I am just going to assume they live there too; I could have sworn they explained it in the pilot, but it's been a while. _

_Also, I'm not sure if Walter has a cellphone, but in this fic (in future chapters) he does. _

_Let me know what you think! (No, seriously, please do! :D)_


	5. Chapter 5

**WriterFreak001: **

Hello guys! Sorry for the wait! I've had a lot of homework this past week but have managed to find a break within my schedule to type this sucker out! :D By the way, as a forewarning, there is a slight possibility that I might be changing this story to "T" instead of K+ because of language and sexual undertones (aka, Toby).

But…I'm not going to do that unless it gets pretty colorful. We shall see.

Please note that the Drew in this fanfiction is so far different from the TV Drew's personality. Then again, something tells me Ralph's _real _father is one sketchy dude.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 5**

**~ S****corpion ~**

Walter spent most of the night working with Cabe Jr. as he tried to think about anything that would keep his mind occupied. He knew he wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. Not after the kiss Paige had given him the night before. Granted, it was only a peck on the cheek, but every small gesture comes with great significance. Paige wouldn't have kissed his cheek if she didn't feel this strange attraction too. He might not be an expert on romance or love, but had it been Toby or Sylvester who had given Paige's jacket back to her, the odds of Paige giving them kisses on the cheeks were slim to none.

Then again, the odds, in his opinion, were against him as well, but she still gave him one. So who was to say she wouldn't kiss Sylvester's or Toby's cheeks if given the chance?

On and on, the wheels in his mind rotated as he analyzed Paige's simple gesture, but nothing seemed to add up or make sense. Variables were out of place. He was beginning to think his answers were hiding in the Emotional department – a compartment inside his brain which was always locked and almost nonexistent. Not being able to completely analyze Paige's kiss frustrated him to no end. Oh what he would pay to have high EQ for a day; perhaps, then, he would be able to understand Paige on an emotional level. Hell, to understand the world on an emotional level.

"Here," Happy broke him from his thoughts and tossed him an apple. "Thought you could eat something since you didn't sleep last night." She turned to leave for the lower level of the Cyclone, but Walter jogged up to her.

"Is Cabe here?"

"Do you hear any yelling?" Happy asked as she folded her arms across her chest and turned to look at Walter.

"No?" Walter raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"Never mind," Happy shook her head and sighed. "He's not here."

"All right." Walter nodded. "Carry on." When Happy left, Walter walked over to his bed and lay down. Personally, he didn't need Cabe because he wanted to work a case. No. He wanted Cabe to help explain the kiss to him. While Happy wouldn't really care about things like that, Sylvester would just gush with emotion and Toby would just answer Walter with a wink and ask ridiculous questions pertaining to his – dare he say it – feelings about Paige.

Cabe seemed like the most practical and most logical choice. Besides, Cabe had a standard amount of EQ unlike the rest of his friends. And there was no way he was even going to consider asking Paige; considering certain variables, she might take his curiosity the wrong way. She might think he didn't appreciate her romantic gesture. Which, contrary to popular belief, he did. And maybe, _just _maybe, he wanted more.

He stared at the ceiling and covered his eyes with the back of his arm. With his high IQ and low EQ, he was able to adequately analyze a situation without implementing what little emotion he had into his analysis. He might not have been able to always discern the difference between emotional situations (like the time he first found out his sister had MS) and intellectual circumstances (for example: working on projects for Cabe when he was younger), but he knew he wasn't a robot. Even before Paige's arrival. There were times he laughed (like the time Toby was testing out the flexible bend of his desk chair and fell backwards as a predictable result to his outlandish curiosity) or even smiled (especially when he saw his dream of Scorpion becoming a reality).

Sure, there were times he didn't "get it" or fully understand emotional situations; he would be a complete idiot to dismiss such a flaw in his design. And there were other times where he _did _feel something but couldn't make sense of it. He understood what feelings were – love, hate, anger, happiness, confusion – but even if he felt some of those things, he really didn't recognize them. The time when the governor's daughter was sick – he charged that hacker full on, not caring about the result. He knew he was angry. The hacker's broken ribs proved that. But he couldn't control his anger. Some of these 'feelings' he had were mostly out of control.

Especially his penchant for defying Cabe. Walter sometimes wanted the satisfaction of proving Cabe wrong – and when he wanted to prove something to Cabe, things usually went out of control. Which, to Walter, was highly ironic considering the fact that he _needed _control and wanted to always _be _in control. Controlling variables mostly worked in his favor; if he could control situations, he had a better chance of achieving likable results.

That was why he started Scorpion, initially; not only did he want to give his friends a place to call home, but he needed _something _to give him the resources he needed in order to one day, find a cure for his sister's illness. Multiple Sclerosis was, so far, the _only _problem he had not been able to solve yet, but one day he was determined he would find a cure. He _had _to find a cure.

He had to.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Walter's eyes opened as he sat up and then rubbed them. Paige was leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Unlike her usual look, she had pulled her hair up and was wearing a dark blue turtleneck and denim jeans. As simple as her ensemble looked, she was still _very _attractive in Walter's mind.

"Paying a penny for someone's thoughts is absolutely absurd. If all we did was pay pennies for every thought we wanted to hear, the economy would plummet as we know it. Then again, having no economy _can't _be worse than the extremes we are facing today." Walter said as he rose to his feet and stretched his arms. He saw Paige's left eyebrow lift. Remembering something Toby had said to someone once before, usually, raising an eyebrow equated to confusion. "But…, based on the nuance of your voice and the arc of your left brow, I take it you weren't actually being serious, were you?"

Paige laughed and shook her head but didn't say anything as he walked towards her.

"Well?" Obviously shaking her head wasn't an adequate amount of information for him to decipher.

"It's an expression," she bit her bottom lip. Something Walter noticed she seemed to do a lot. "It's something _normals _say when they are curious about someone else's thoughts."

"Ah." Walter said as he tried understanding what Paige had said. "I still don't get it," he shook his head.

She giggled as she turned around and walked towards the living space in the upper part of the warehouse. "Don't ever change Walter."

"Change is inevitable. Telling someone not to change is like telling them they'll never die. Both are completely irrational idealizations." Walter replied as he followed Paige towards the stairs. "But," he caused her to turn around, "based on the context of the situation, I think I understand your point."

"Good." Paige smiled. "Ralph is downstairs, waiting for me to take him to school. He was hoping you'd give him another riddle to solve again."

"Yeah. Sure. I can do that." Walter nodded.

"Thanks." Paige squeezed his hand and then turned around to walk down the stairs. Walter watched her as she descended to the main floor. Remembering the task she had given him, he quickly grabbed a piece of paper, a pencil and an envelope and scribbled something down before making his way down the steps. Ralph smiled as he made his way towards him.

"Hey, I heard you wanted something?" Walter waved the envelope and then placed it in the boy's hands. "I don't think we'll be able to go out for ice cream today, but perhaps there might be a surprise for you later today if you can solve that riddle. How does that sound?" Walter then looked at Paige. She nodded with approval so he fixed his gaze at Ralph.

"Can't wait." Ralph beamed. Ralph then looked at his mother. "Can Walter come with us?"

Before she could answer, Cabe walked inside with his hands in his pockets and his glasses sitting on top of his head. "I'm afraid not, kid. Walter is needed for official business across the city."

"We have a case?"

"No. It's more of a favor for a friend." Cabe replied.

"Is it urgent?"

"It is if I say it is." Cabe smirked.

"Uh," Toby jumped up and walked over to Walter, "Can I have a word with you?"

Nodding, Walter stepped away from everyone and looked at Toby. "What is it?"

"I know you don't read social cues very well, but based on Cabe's expression, I'm pretty sure he wants you to shut up, stop asking questions and get the hell into the SUV. So, unless you don't want to avoid another 'Faux'ther – son argument, I suggest you do as he says." Toby replied.

"But he didn't say it. You did."

"Have I been wrong before?" Toby raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Walter replied instantly. He looked towards the group and then back at Toby.

"What if it has to do with Drew?" Toby muttered.

Walter stiffened. Hearing Ralph's father's name did unspeakable things to his insides and made him cringe. What if Toby was right? What if Cabe _did _have intel on Drew? What if this 'favor' was just a guise for whatever Cabe was _really _planning? Before Toby could say anything else, Walter made his way back to Paige and Ralph. "Perhaps it is better I go with Cabe."

"Damn straight it's better!" Cabe exclaimed causing Walter and Paige to look at him. "You're paycheck and my ass depend on this."

Walter looked back at Ralph. He bent down and ruffled the boy's hair. "Perhaps another time?"

"Okay." Ralph nodded. "I'll see you after school, Walter."

"See you, Ralph." Walter smiled as the boy headed for the door, waiting for his mother to follow him outside.

Paige muttered a bye towards Walter and then turned to Cabe. Walter could have sworn she gave him a look of disgust. Served him right. When Paige and Ralph were gone, Walter and Cabe were sitting in the vehicle but weren't leaving as of yet.

"So, would you like to tell me what's going on?" Walter asked as he buckled himself into his seat.

"I looked into Drew's battery charge." Cabe said as he took of his sunglasses. "Before I tell you what I have found, I want you to _promise _me you aren't going to do something stupid."

"I promise." He lied.

"I mean it, Walter. You have a tendency to act impulsively, and I do _not _want you to do anything that might enrage Paige. I like that young woman, and I can tell that she and Ralph have some sort of effect over you. I know you're protective over them, but if your response isn't handled carefully, you might have a serious problem on your hands."

"Like what?"

"Losing Paige." A simple answer with a lot of depth.

Walter mentally considered the pros and cons of this situation. If Cabe told him whatever he had found out – and it turned out to be _bad _news, there was no doubt that Walter would either march up to Drew's hotel and break _his _ribs or say something in front of Paige that he might regret later. But, if he told Paige that he had Cabe quietly looking into Drew, the ramifications would be far less severe. Paige _did _hold a grudge but not for long. She also has a great sense of empathy so that would work in his favor too. If she could empathize with him, she would then understand _why _he had to have Cabe look into Drew. Not to mention that he could _offer _the option of having Paige learn what Cabe found out too. That way, Walter wasn't too much of a guilty party. And if Drew happened to be an indecent man, Paige would want to know, right? He had told her that he was done interfering and was going to move forward, but he had asked Cabe to look into Drew _before _he had made that promise to Paige, so she couldn't exactly hold him accountable, could she?

"Do you want me to tell you what I've found or what?" Cabe looked at Walter, waiting for a response.

"Not yet." Walter replied. As much as he wanted to know what kind of battery charge Drew had, he didn't want to go behind Paige's back again. The last time he tried that tactic, the outcome was unfavorable – in the end, Paige _had _decided to let Ralph see Drew. That was an outcome Walter was not expecting. "But soon."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Walter nodded. "I'm sure."

"Okay. Good. I'm glad you decided to hang up your dumbass suit for a day." Cabe remarked as he started the car. "Now, let's get going. I promised my friend we'd be there by ten."

"Wait. So there actually was a case?" Toby _had _been wrong.

"Yeah," Cabe nodded. "Why else would I drag your ass out here?"

"For privacy?"

"If I wanted privacy, Walter, I would just ask you to step outside or away from the group. They may be a bunch of geniuses, but they don't have super-hearing." Cabe said as he merged onto the main road. "For a group of highly intelligent geniuses, you guys are pretty damn stupid sometimes."

Walter frowned. "I beg to differ."

"I'm sure you would." Cabe took a right. "By the way, I saw the way you were looking at Paige earlier. Did something happen last night? You've got that look."

"What look?"

"The look you have whenever you're brain's working too hard. Something tells me _something _happened last night, and you're trying to make sense of it." Cabe hit the nail right on the head.

Walter bit his lip. There was no use in trying to lie about it now. "Cabe."

"Yeah?"

"What does a kiss on the cheek mean?"

**~ Scorpion ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I hope you like that treat! I probably won't be able to update for another few days so I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I really enjoy Walter and Cabe's interactions. If Cabe wasn't such of a father figure to Walter, I'd say they have one heck of a bromance going on there. _

_I can't wait for tomorrow night's episode! :D_

_Have a great night! _


	6. Chapter 6

**WriterFreak001: **

I really enjoyed the most recent episode of _Scorpion_. I know it did not focus a lot on the Scorpion team, but I think it did a great job in exploring Walter and Cabe's relationship. It's important to have that established; because, in my opinion, having Walter recognize how "good" of a father figure he had been to him over the years really hashed out Walter's feelings (and yes, I did say feelings) about being the father figure for Ralph. Walter understands how important a father figure is, and by stepping aside for Drew to connect with Ralph (because, as of right now, Drew claims Ralph is his priority), it really shows how much Walter really does care for Ralph.

Just because he is stepping down to let Drew establish more of a relationship with Ralph, it does not mean he will stop being there for him if he needs something. Remember, Walter still feels protective for him, and he told Paige in the 7th episode "Father's Day" that he would be there if Ralph should ever need him. And I don't think he will break that promise.

Anyyyywayyy, I did not mean for that blurb to turn into a review, soooo I'm just going to shut up and let you read the chapter. :)

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 6**

**~ S****corpion ~**

Walter could tell Cabe was caught off guard by his question so as a response, he scratched his neck and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I mean," Walter shook his head like a dog shaking water off of its body, "What I mean to ask is…, other than affection of sorts, could it mean something else…like anger or guilt? I've tried to analyze everything – the way her voice sounded when she said goodbye, or even the way she walked away afterwards. But…, you and I both know I'm not Toby. Part of me believes she did it out of gratitude. Anoth-" Cabe suddenly burst with laughter – a rare sight all on its own. "Why are you laughing?" Walter didn't see the humor in the situation. He legitimately wanted to know the significance behind the kiss so he could fully understand and adequately analyze the circumstance. "Cabe." Walter called for him. "Cabe. Stop laughing. It isn't funny."

Cabe snorted and dabbed at his eyes. "Hoo boy! You're something else, Walter O'Brien."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Cabe finally glanced over at him and then back at the road as he drove down the interstate. "Just what I said. Listen, kid. When a woman kisses your cheek, just accept it as it is and don't think about it. You don't need to analyze every single emotional situation you dive into, Walter." Cabe slowed to a stop as the light turned red. He looked at Walter and lightly jabbed his finger into the genius's shoulder. "I get that you don't have very good experience in the emotional department, and I can tell Paige affects you differently than any of the other _normals _you've dated in the past so I'm just going to cut to the chase: a woman who's willing to put up with your temperament, stand up to you when your teammates won't and kiss you on the cheek when you're caught off guard is a keeper. Knowing you, I'm sure you've considered the pros and cons in regards to your feelings for Pa-" Walter opened his mouth to refute Cabe's statement, but Cabe cut him to the chase. – "I know what you're going to say, Walter, but just shut up and listen for once. You can deny it all you want, but I've watched the two of you interact with one another. Hell, the whole team has. It doesn't take a monkey to know _something_ is going on between the two of you."

"Is it that obvious?" Walter couldn't understand how his connection towards Paige was so apparent when he had done all he could to be as discreet as possible.

"Like I said: a monkey could have spotted it." Cabe retorted as he pulled into a driveway. He put the car into park and then looked at the genius. "Look, Walter, you and I both know you're special – you think differently than 95 percent of the world."

"Actually, it's 99.75 percent." Walter deadpanned. Seeing the annoyed look on Cabe's face, Walter gulped. "Continue."

"What I mean to say, Walter, is that you need to consider whether Paige and Ralph are just problems you want to solve or if they are truly people you want in your life – people you will let past your barriers. Do you understand?"

Walter nodded but didn't say anything.

"Okay. Good. Now let's go." Cabe said as he pushed the car door open and hopped out. Walter did the same and followed him to the front door. Walter was glad for this simple task; it would allow him to think. Something he needed desperately.

**~ Scorpion ~**

After Cabe dropped Walter off at the Cyclone because he had to attend to some Fed business at HQ, the super-genius mindlessly walked into the warehouse and saw that Toby and Sylvester were engaging in another Rubik's Cube competition with Happy moderating the contest. Paige was on the couch reading some mediocre novel called_ The Hunger Games_. Walter was with her when she bought it several weeks ago, and even as she tried to explain the book's scenario, Walter didn't understand its premise. First of all, if the world was to ever downgrade into a dystopian society where people revert to savage beasts like those in Hobbe's theory of the State of Nature, the whole process would be incredibly messy and inefficient. Dystopia was not the right way to maintain societies. Societies that want to live on should consider applying the lifestyle of the Haudenosaunee Confederation; much like the concept of cyclone, the Haudenosaunee Confederation consisted of five – eventually, six – Indian tribes, and if someone attacked one house of the confederation, all six tribes would seek revenge and punish the attacker. Being part of a cyclone, in Walter's opinion, was the best way to maintain a group of societies. Societies would have each other's backs, and fewer people would die because, like the Haudenosaunee Confederation, others would see a band of strong allies as a threat to reckon with.

Before Paige could catch him staring at her, Walter redirected his attention towards Toby and Sylvester and walked up to him. "$100 to whoever can beat me in completing ten Rubik's Cubes."

"No way. Not this time, Walt." Toby said as he twisted various cubes in different directions. "As a _reformed _gambler, I know when and when not to place bets." The group shot dirty looks in Toby's direction, recalling a certain incident a couple weeks back when they were in Las Vegas. "Okay, okay, okay," Toby slammed the Rubik's Cube down on the table and started another one, "So I have control issues. Who doesn't?"

"Done!" Sylvester exclaimed as he slammed the last one down on the table. "Pay up, Toby."

Toby groaned and pulled out his wallet; "You guys are burning more holes in my wallet than the time I was a professional gambler." Toby grinded his teeth and passed Sylvester a wad of cash. He turned to Walter. "As I was saying, Walt. As much as we would _all _love to beat you, fair and square, we _all _know making monetary bets is useless wh—"

"Make it $500 then." Walter deadpanned.

"Challenge accepted," Toby quickly changed his answer and then divided the cubes in three, "Prepare to get your ass kicked, Walter! Because when I get done with ya, all you're gonna feel is me tacking a tail in your behind like my good friend Eeyore!" He looked at Sylvester, "You in, Sly?"

"A chance at beating Walter and winning $500 all in one day? Who _would _turn that down?" Sylvester pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"All right, you heard Walt," Happy reiterated. "$500 to whoever can beat Walter at ten Rubik's Cubes. If Walt wins, you two," she looked at Toby and then Sylvester, "have to pay Walter $500 each."

"Hey," Toby snapped his head towards Happy, "No one said we had to pay anything if we lost!"

"The rules are the rules; if you wanna gripe at someone, stand in front of a mirror and study your _own _behavior for a change." Happy retorted and then said, "On your mark…," all three men hovered over their share of cubes, "get set," Walter released a slow breath, "Go!" Instantly, all three picked up their cubes. Walter placed the cube behind his back and started twisting the cubes in different directions. Seconds later, he placed it in front of him and then continued onto the next. And the next. And the next. And so on. When he reached his last one, he glanced over to Toby – who was still working on his eight cube, and Sylvester – who was on his ninth. Walter closed his eyes and placed the cube behind him again.

When he finished the last one, he slammed it on the table with pride as Sylvester's and Toby's heads fell, defeated. "I believe that's $500 from both of you." Walter smirked as he extended his hand.

Toby groaned again and handed Walter a wad of more cash as Sylvester did the same. "You have _got _to tell me your secrets, man." Toby crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Like seriously, how the hell do you do it?"

"That's just it," Walter replied. "I just do. When it comes to Rubik's Cubes, I don't think about it."

"Perhaps it's the only time Walt doesn't think," Happy chuckled as she walked away from the table and started tinkering with her old, rusty car.

Toby stretched his arms and yawned. "If anyone needs me, I'm going to take a little nap." As he disappeared up the stairs, Sylvester slowly retreated over to his blackboard and started writing an algorithm. Whenever Sly was stressed or frustrated, he confides in numbers to comfort him – just as machines comfort Happy and porn comforts Toby.

After putting the money into his wallet, he made his way towards Paige who was comfortably seated on the couch with her slender legs lounging on the dark brown ottoman. He sat one cushion over from her, creating a substantial amount of space between them. She glanced from her book. "Hey." She smiled casually.

"Hi." He reciprocated as his thumbs involuntarily twirled in his lap.

"Do you need something?" Paige asked, placing her book down on the ottoman and then twisting her body until she was facing Walter.

"No." He answered stoically. She frowned. "Wait, yes." He immediately changed his mind.

"Oh?" Her eyes lit up. "What is it, Walter?"

"Can we talk?"

"We are talking," she laughed. He mentally cursed. Usually he didn't make those kinds of mistakes.

He immediately rose to his feet. "Park. Now." He grabbed his jacket, tugged it on and then handed hers to her.

"Oh okay." Paige stood up and slipped her arms into her white sweater. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Walter nodded as he took hold of her hand and pulled her towards the door. "Too many ears."

As they left the warehouse, Walter half expected Paige to re-claim her hand, but she didn't. And for some unexplainable reason, he didn't either. For once in his life, Walter decided not to question nor try to analyze their physical contact; feeling the warmth of her hand in his was something he wasn't ready to let go yet. And he wasn't sure he'd ever be.

**~ Scorpion ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Let me know what you think! By the way, follow me on Twitter and Tumblr as WriterFreak001. I have a Scorpion Tumblr called A Beautiful Mind WF001, so follow that one too! Have a good night! :) _

_I know it was a short chapter, but I felt as though this would be a good stopping point. _


	7. Chapter 7

**WriterFreak001: **

I triiiiied to type this out before the episode tonight, but one thing lead to another. Unfortunately, I have not seen the newest episode yet. Ferguson has been all over the news since I live in the area. Luckily, I have bought the season so the newest episode will be on my computer tomorrow when I get home from class. I heard it was a very good Quintis episode, and I'm glad! Hopefully next one will be a good Waige episode! :P

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

**Deception**

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 7**

**~ S****corpion ~**

On the way to the park, Walter and Paige walked in silence and simply enjoyed each other's company. There was a lot on Walter's mind, and he didn't need Toby's psychoanalysis to interrupt him while he was talking to Paige. In fact, he preferred if Toby kept his probing eyes to himself when it came to Walter's connection with Paige. He didn't need a shrink to assess him nor his mannerisms around Paige. He might not understand everything he does that would be considered "emotional," but Paige's assessment (which was what Walter hired her for) of the group's emotions was enough. As much as Toby was an asset to the team, Walter did not need Toby's professional insight in regards to his "feelings" towards Paige.

They found their way to the bench they had occupied the day before and sat in silence. The lack of proximity between the two of them did not go unnoticed by Walter. Paige still had her fingers laced with his, and Walter was grateful that she didn't bother to let go of his hand.

As he was about to speak, he felt her cheek press against his shoulder. He froze from her sudden and unexpected touch. He gulped. He started to say something again, but she hushed him and begged him to just sit and enjoy their moment of silence for a while longer. He didn't really understand the sensations the soft whisper of her voice nor her gentle touch were giving him, but he complied. If silence would enable him to sit with Paige for a moment longer, he welcomed it. Like the cloning device, silence, in Walter's mind, was a tool to help him justify his actions – to help him connect, if only for a few moments – with the emotions he had locked away so many years ago.

A few minutes passed where they simply held onto the precious moments of silence. Then Walter remembered what Cabe had said, and he knew he couldn't keep Paige in the dark anymore. After all, Drew was Ralph's father; whatever information Cabe had found involved Paige and Ralph too.

"What's on your mind, Walter?" Paige asked as she turned to look at him. While her left hand was coiled in his fingers, she gently placed her right palm on his bicep. Walter felt her soft fingertips brushing against his skin. Normally, he would barely welcome any physical contact, but for some unknown reason, holding Paige's hand, allowing her to touch his arm or even lean her cheek against his shoulder felt natural to him. She did not feel like an alien to him – like the time Drew had lightly smacked his shoulder or when Cabe's ex-wife, Rebecca, hugged him.

He pressed his lips to a fine line as he carefully considered the string of words filing inside his mouth. "Remember when I told you I wasn't going to interfere with your complicated relationship with Drew?"

"Yes?" Paige nodded.

"I technically lied." Walter quickly answered before explaining himself. He combed his free hand in his hair. "Before I made that promise to you, I asked Cabe to discreetly look into Drew for me…."

Paige frowned, unlinking her hand with his. "Unbelievable." She stood up and started to walk away from him, but he grabbed ahold of her wrist, physically begging her to stay. "Let go of me, Walter."

Walter rose to his feet. "You're annoyed."

"You think?" Paige whipped around to face him and ripped her wrist out of his grasp, folding her arms in front of her. "I thought I told you to stop butting in where Drew is concerned."

"Yes. You did. And I said I would, but before I made that promise, I wanted to make sure Drew was someone I could trust." Walter explained as he shoved his hands into his pockets, looking Paige directly in her eyes.

"And did you?" Paige tapped her foot impatiently. "Make sure?"

Walter bit his lip and then scratched his head. "Not exactly…. Cabe took longer than I anticipated so I decided to go ahead and promise you I'd stop interfering. Over the past few weeks, I kind of forgot about what I asked Cabe to do…. It wasn't until today that he brought something up about it."

"And what did he tell you?"

"He didn't. I asked him not to." Walter said, trying to read Paige's expression.

"Why?"

"Because," Walter paused as a couple walked past them, "Because I decided it was best to leave the decision up to you Paige. I get it. It wasn't fair for me to have Cabe quietly investigate Drew behind your back. You can be angry. You have every right to be. I figured it would be unfair if Cabe told me something about Drew when whatever information he had found out would most likely affect you the most. The variables were out of place. Knowing that you are a very important variable when it comes to Ralph, you needed to be a part of the formula if the equation was to ever work. Both you and Ralph are members of Scorpion; I was in the wrong for leaving you out. I'll admit it. So." He still couldn't read Paige's expression. "With that out in the open, it's ultimately your decision. If you don't want to know whatever Cabe found out about Drew, then I will officially stop interfering. I won't press Cabe to tell me whatever information he found. But, should you decide you want to know, all you need to do is talk to Cabe – with or without me in the equation."

Paige closed her eyes for a few seconds and then took in a deep breath. "I'm not happy, Walter."

"I know."

"But I can't be mad at you."

Walter raised an eyebrow. "I'm not following."

Paige sat back down on the bench, and Walter did the same. However, they weren't sitting as close as they were beforehand. "I'm not happy that you went behind my back when I specifically asked you not to. But," she took his hand in hers and then looked into his eyes, "knowing that you only wanted to protect Ralph means a lot to me. As you know, until he met you and the rest of the team, aside from me, Ralph didn't have much. The members of Scorpion, you especially, are the closest friends he has ever had, and like I said the other day, I am glad he has people he can count on when he can't confide in me…at least on an intellectual level." Paige's thumb started to rub against his, doing crazy things inside of him. Things he hadn't felt before. "I could never be mad at you for wanting to protect my son."

"Ralph is going to need a lot of protection as he grows older; there are normals out there who like to take advantage of geniuses. Especially young ones." Walter replied, stating the mere facts. He wasn't great with communicating any sort of emotional response, but he did the best he could to try to show some sympathy towards Ralph.

"Yes. I realize that." Paige nodded.

"Which means," Walter did his best to think about the words before speaking them, "Which means, I'm most likely going to make very reckless decisions in order to continue protecting him." And it was true. Even if Paige and Ralph weren't a part of Scorpion anymore in any given future, Walter would still look after the boy for as long as Paige welcomed it.

"Possibly," Paige nodded. "But, at the end of the day, Walter, making reckless decisions is what makes you human…. I would be worried if you _didn't _make reckless decisions to protect the ones you care for. Normal people do stupid things, and that is another reason I can't be angry with you. You acted out of concern for Ralph, as any normal, caring person would do." Paige scooted closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Just promise me one thing, Walter."

He remained silent, waiting for her proposal as he stared off into the distance.

"Promise me you'll stop hiding things from me when it comes to Ralph or Drew. Like you said," her fingers squeezed his hand, "I'm the most important variable in the equation."

Walter smiled as she repeated what he had said to her only moments before. "I promise."

For several more silent minutes, they simply enjoyed each other's company and, perhaps, for the first time in a very long time, Walter felt as though he was – in the smallest fraction – somewhat normal.

**~ Scorpion ~**

By the time Walter and Paige made it back to the Cyclone, it was time to pick Ralph up from school. As Paige walked into the warehouse, Walter waited for her to grab her purse and keys. When she came out, she handed him the keys, and he walked over to the driver's side of her red car as she hopped into the passenger's side. For fifteen minutes, they sat in welcomed silence. Walter pulled up to Ralph's school and parked. They stepped out of the car and made their way to the building.

Ralph was sitting on a bench, waiting for them. Walter frowned, seeing how upset Ralph looked from the distance. Paige must have noticed too because she started to run up to him. When Walter caught up, Paige was kneeling down and ruffling her son's hair.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Paige asked as she placed her hands on top of Ralph's small ones. "How was school today?"

Ralph didn't answer.

"Ralph?" Walter heard the concern in Paige's voice. "Talk to me, honey."

"I had detention again." Ralph replied, defeated.

"Aw," Paige hugged him, "What happened?"

"Recess came so I decided to pull out Walter's riddle and read it while the other kids play." Ralph's eyes shifted away from his mother's as if he was ashamed of something. "I started writing a riddle in response, but Tommy Hendricks snatched my paper away from me, ripped it up and then called me a know-it-all. I overheard Toby and Happy laughing about a time when Walter hit someone for being a bad man. So I punched Tommy in the nose, and one of the lunch monitors saw me."

Walter inwardly smirked; he was glad that Ralph was taking an initiative to defend himself. That kid was going to need it.

"You don't hit people, Ralph." Paige kissed her son's hands.

"Why not?" Both Ralph and Walter asked as they looked at Paige.

"Because," Paige stood up, offering her hand to her son, "Violence isn't a solution to anything. It only fuels the fire."

Walter opened his mouth to refute her statement, wanting to say that violence solves many problems like beating information out of people – as unethical as it might be, but when her eyes shot daggers at him, he closed his mouth and asked Ralph, "Why didn't the school notify your mother?"

"Mrs. Reilly said it wasn't necessary. While Tommy had to write, 'I must not be a bully,' fifty times as a punishment, I had to serve time in detention." Ralph shrugged his backpack off of his shoulders and then unzipped it. He pulled out a pink slip of paper. "You need to sign this paper, Mom." He handed it to Paige. "I have to turn it in tomorrow or else I get another detention. Also," He pulled out a yellow sheet of paper, "Mrs. Reilly and the principal want you to arrange a conference with them."

Walter glanced over Paige's shoulder and quickly read the yellow sheet of paper. The note requested for the parent(s) or guardian(s) to call the school and schedule a conference to discuss the student's progress. However, something told Walter that it was more about Ralph's future involvement rather than the quality of his grades.

"Oh," Ralph zipped up his backpack and slipped his arms through the strands, "I asked Mrs. Reilly if Walter could come with you too, and she said it would be fine." Ralph then looked at Walter and smiled. "She wants to see if there's any way you could help her help me in class."

"But you don't need any help in your classes," Walter replied candidly. Paige's smile did not go unnoticed.

"I know. Which is why I don't understand the importance of the conference." Ralph shrugged. He walked past Walter and Paige before heading for the car. Paige and Walter followed the boy.

"I think Mrs. Reilly wants to help Ralph on a social level, not an academic level." Paige replied as she unlocked the car. "She probably wants him to learn to work in group activities instead of opting to do the group assignments by himself. You know, that sort of thing." Paige circled around her car and hopped in as Walter slid in the driver's seat. Ralph was already buckled and waiting.

"That will never work," Walter somewhat smirked. "A group with one genius and a handful of normals never works."

"Why not? I'm a normal and I'm part of Scorpion – a group of world-class geniuses. Why can't the reverse happen?" Paige asked as she buckled herself in.

"Because," Walter started the ignition. "in a typical situation, normals take advantage of geniuses…. If the normals knew about Ralph's intellect, they would most certainly use it to their advantage." Obviously, Walter was basing his response on personal experiences, but there's a possibility that Ralph's situation might be different. A small chance, but a chance nonetheless.

"What if Ralph were to only focus on statistics or the analytical side of the group work, could it then work?" Paige asked as Walter pulled out of the parking spot.

"It's possible," Walter shrugged, "but it just depends on what sorts of people Ralph could be grouped with."

"There are twenty-six students in the class. There are twelve boys and fourteen girls. I sit in the back of the classroom. Five people write notes. Three sleep. Seven simply stare at the wall and do nothing. Everyone else listens to the professor. Three students are Asian; four, Mexican; six, African Americans; thirteen, White. Groups are usually divided in fours. Four groups of four and two groups of five. The teacher does a random selection; I have a 61.5% chance of being placed into a group of four and a 38.5*% chance of being selected for a group of five members." Ralph said, giving Walter as much demographics about his class as he could.

"As I said before," Walter chuckled as he merged onto the highway, "it really depends on what sorts of people Ralph could be grouped with." Walter made a right turn.

"Where are we going?" Paige asked, lifting her eyebrow skeptically,

"I visit Megan every Friday. She said she wanted to meet both of you; she guilt-tripped me into promising her I'd bring you guys to the hospital to meet her." Walter answered taking another right. "That won't be a problem, will it?"

Paige smiled. "No. None at all."

"Good."

**~ Scorpion ~**

Walter led Paige and Ralph to the waiting room after signing them into the guest list. He took a seat at one of the tables with Paige sitting next to him and Ralph across from her. Walter had given Ralph a Rubik's Cube to fiddle with while they waited for his sister to arrive. Walter's fingers started tapping against the table as time passed without Megan. "Maybe I should go and check on her." He started to stand, but Paige tugged on his arm, forcing him back down.

"I'm sure she's on her way, Walter. It's only been five minutes since we arrived." Paige covered his hand with her own. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

"A little," Walter admitted. "I never like to see her struggling, but she insists I suck it up and deal with it because MS is her life now."

"She seems like a wise sister." Paige smiled.

"Maybe to you, but I'm not giving up on her yet." Walter replied when he saw Megan in the distance.

"Of course not," Paige whispered, "you shouldn't be expected to either."

"She's here," Walter said as he stood up and walked over to Megan. He offered to help her, but she wouldn't have it. She stopped in front of the table Walter had been sitting at as Walter stood in front of her, wanting to know what he could do.

"You make a better door than a window, Walt." Megan said with a smirk.

"That's impossible. I'm neither a door nor a window. I'm human like you." Walter replied in a stoic manner.

"Same ole Walter," Megan laughed as she made her way to the empty chair. Walter raced to help her, but she shooed him away. "I'm fine, Walt."

Walter sighed and sat back down as Paige introduced herself to Megan. "Hi, I'm Paige." She extended her hand, and Megan happily shook it. "And that's my son, Ralph." Paige pointed to her son as he continued playing with the Cube. "He's like Walter."

"It's finally nice to meet the woman my brother's been gushing about for the past several weeks." Megan smirked as Walter cleared his throat in response. Paige blushed, and Ralph was in his own little world.

"Not bad things, I hope." Paige laughed, easing the tension a little.

"Depends on what kinds of things he thinks about when he's talking about you," Megan teased. Walter stood up and cleared his throat again.

"I'm going to go and grab a drink of water." As he walked away, Megan only laughed to see the very red blush on Paige's cheeks.

"I see the attraction is mutual," Megan observed. "But really, Paige, Walt thinks very highly of you and enjoys talking about your son. Now I can put names with faces." Megan looked over at Ralph, but he wasn't paying any attention.

"Ralph," Paige called for him. "Ralph, say hello."

"Hi…." He replied in a distant sounding voice, his attention remaining on the Cube.

Megan smiled at the boy and then back at Paige. "He seems like Walt when he was young. Always in his world and hardly at home, if you know what I mean."

Paige laughed and smiled at her son. "I sure do." She reached over the table and ruffled Ralph's hair. "Ralph, honey, can you look at me for a second?" Ralph sighed and reluctantly placed the Cube down in his lap and then looked at his mother. "Do you know where we are?"

"We're at a hospital." He replied instantly.

"Good," Paige grinned. "Did you know the woman sitting next to you is Walter's sister?"

Ralph looked at Megan, then his mother and then at the Cube. He saw Walter making his way back as well. Then he picked up his Cube and said, "That's cool."

Megan couldn't help but laugh. "That's probably the best compliment I could ever get from someone like my brother. It would seem Ralph and Walt are a lot alike."

Paige smiled but didn't answer as Walter sat back down with a Styrofoam cup in his hand. He placed the cup down on the table, hoping his sister was done embarrassing him – no matter how true those statements were.

"I think I'm close, Megan." Walter said, but before he could say anything more, Megan held up her palm to stop him from talking any further.

She placed her hands over his, and said, "Walt. I told you before. MS is my fight. Don't waste your life away on trying to 'fix' me."

"And I told you, Megan. I'm not giving up. I _will _find a way to fix you." Walter genuinely placed his hand over hers.

Megan sighed with defeat. "For a man who doesn't believe in the impossible, you are sure putting a lot of faith in it."

"I don't believe in faith, Megan." Walter squeezed his sister's hands. "I only believe in certainty. And I'm certain I will find a cure."

"You don't know that." Megan shook her head and frowned.

"No. I do, Megan. I do." Walter's tone silenced his sister. He didn't want to talk anymore about it; if only his sister would have more trust in him. A wave of awkward silence passed between everyone.

"Walter," Paige suddenly said, "Why don't you go and take Ralph to the food court and get him a snack." Taking the subtle hint, Walter nodded and stood up before walking over to Ralph. Ralph hopped off of his chair and took Walter's hand before they walked away from the table. When the two of them were out of sight, Paige smiled at Megan. "I understand you want Walter to accept the possibility of the inevitable – as ironic as that sounds – but for as long as I've known your brother, Megan, the thought of finding you a cure isn't as simple as you might think."

"What do you mean?" Megan asked as she took a sip out of her brother's cup.

"Walter, as you know more than I do, doesn't think like we do – like mostly anyone does. He sees and handles things in his own way. Although Walter has his own way of showing sympathy and empathy, he doesn't understand it very well. Nor does he always understand when he's being emotional. He mostly denies ever having feelings, but he does. I may not be a genius, but I've observed him long enough to know that he finds unique ways to show he cares for his friends, my son and you." Paige covered Megan's hands with her own and squeezed them. "I think – no matter how outlandish it may seem – you should let Walter believe he can cure you. At least…at least you should for as long as he believes he can."

"Why? I don't want him to buy into a lie or into something that may never happen." Megan frowned. "I care about my brother very much, and buying into these fantasies will only hurt him more in the end."

Paige shook her head. "I don't think so…. Walter is a brilliant man. When he isn't working on a case or spending time with Ralph, he's up in the lab area, working with Cabe Jr."

"Cabe Jr?"

"Walter's mouse." Paige chuckled. Megan couldn't help but laugh either. "I think Cabe Jr. gives him a sense of hope that you'll get better. Thinking he can fix you is his way of coping with your disease. He doesn't think like us, Megan. And there will be a day when he might cure MS. You never know. With Walter, anything is possible. Perhaps, all he wants from you is your support. You are the main reason he hauls himself in the lab as often as he does; if he knew you supported him in his research and his goal to cure you, he may be sparked with new motivation or a new idea."

"I never thought of it that way before." Megan sighed. "But I guess you're right." As Walter and Ralph made their way back, Megan pushed herself up to her feet and used her crutches to make her way over to her brother.

"You didn't have to move," Walter said as he stood in front of his sister. Ralph ran back to his seat and started messing with the Rubik's Cube again.

"Nonsense. I needed to stretch my legs anyway." Megan laughed. "Anyway, I came to tell you that if you are bent on finding a cure for MS, then I give you my full support."

Walter blinked. "Really?"

"Yes." Megan nodded. "So are things cool between us now?"

"I'm actually feeling kind of warm," Walter replied, causing Megan to laugh some more.

"Good." Megan chuckled as she gave Walter a hug. "Don't ever change."

**~ Scorpion ~**

Before Walter, Paige and Ralph made their way to the Cyclone, they grabbed a bite to eat from Steak n Shake. Walter paid for all three orders, despite Paige's insistence that she pay for Ralph's and her own, but his mind was set. They ate quickly and then headed for the Cyclone. When they arrived to the warehouse, Toby and Happy were playing some videogames, and Sylvester was organizing his desk – again. Cabe had gone home for the night.

"Mom," Ralph tugged on her mother's sleeve, "Can we stay here a little while before going home? I want to play the winner of the next round on the game."

"I don't see why not." Paige smiled at her son before he scurried off towards Happy and Toby. Walter sat on the couch and leaned his head against the top of the sofa as he closed his eyes. It had certainly been a long day. As he rubbed them, he felt the couch's weight shift a little as Paige sat down and leaned her head against his shoulder – much like the time at the park earlier. Again, they sat in silence. Walter watched Toby slump his head in defeat, handing the controller to Ralph. Toby stretched and rose out of the chair before getting up to head for the kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of beer and popped the bottle open before taking a swig of the alcoholic beverage. He then saw Paige sleeping soundly on Walter's shoulder; he was tempted to make a comment, but Walter was giving him another "Don't You Dare" look.

"See y'all in the morning." Toby awkwardly smiled and then headed up the stairs. "If you should need a shrink, let me know."

When Ralph was done with his game, he made his way to Walter and sat next to him as his mother slept soundly in his arms. After a moment of silence, Walter asked, "Do you think your mom is a valuable variable to the team?"

Ralph nodded. "Yes. But she's not a variable."

"No?" Walter raised an eyebrow. "What is she then?"

"A constant."

Walter smiled. "Yeah. I think you're right." _I think you're right_.

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Let me know what you think! By the way, follow me on Twitter and Tumblr as WriterFreak001. I have a Scorpion Tumblr called A Beautiful Mind WF001, so follow that one too! Have a good night! :)_

_ I felt as though this would be a good stopping point._

_I can't believe this one ended to be 10 pages long! Consider this a fair treat! Hee Hee. _


	8. Chapter 8

**WriterFreak001: **

Today is my birthday, and I am stuck at home with a numb mouth due to three cavities having to be filled earlier today. Some B-day present huh? Anyway, I have some downtime because of my procedure, so yeah! Here is a gift for all of you! :)

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 8**

**~ S****corpion ~**

An hour after Paige had fallen asleep, Ralph had occupied the other half of the couch and drifted off to sleep himself. The rest of the team had also retired for the night, but Walter was very much awake. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable because he wasn't. Paige was sleeping soundly against one shoulder, while Ralph's head was planted against a pillow that was propped up with his right leg. As the clock struck midnight, Walter carefully slipped from underneath the mother and son and then stretched his muscles. He then picked Ralph up into his arms and carried him up the stairs to his bedroom. Quietly, he pushed the door open and placed the sleeping boy in his bed and then left to retrieve Paige. She was still fast asleep. When he reached the couch, he slipped his arms underneath her and carried her up the stairs; however, he took his time. Minutes later, he reached his bedroom and carefully placed her on the bed next to Ralph. Then he draped the blankets over them. Getting them to a proper bed was essential if he wanted them to have a good night's sleep. He _could _have taken them back to Paige's apartment, but since his bed was unoccupied, he did not see the reason to waste gas unnecessarily.

He cracked the door closed and then made his way to the couch in the living space on the second floor. It wasn't the most comfortable piece of furniture, but it was better than the one downstairs in his opinion. Not to mention it was the closest couch to his bedroom; that way, if Paige or Ralph needed anything, he would be close by.

Eventually, Walter fell asleep, and for the first time in many years, he dreamt of something _other _than mathematical algorithms and scientific breakthroughs.

And he didn't seem to mind.

He woke up early the next morning, far before everyone else and decided to see if he could make some progress with Cabe Jr. However, the mouse was as obstinate as ever. He kept on chewing at the wires Walter had attached him to. After an hour of trying to get the mouse to stop gnawing at everything, Walter gave up and put the rodent back into his cage. He would have to try again later when the mouse wasn't so hungry.

He sat back down on the couch and folded his hands in front of him before slumping his head with a heavy sigh. His elbows were propped against his knees. He closed his eyes and took a moment to reset. He heard his bedroom door open. He pushed his hair back as Paige approached him and sat down next to him. "Sorry for falling asleep last night," she apologized.

"Everyone needs sleep. Your body was tired. Sleep was its natural response. An involuntary action." Walter replied as he leaned back against the couch and stared at the wall in front of him.

"Right," Paige chuckled.

"What?" He snapped his head in her direction.

"I think I'm getting better at translating Genius now." Paige smiled. She grabbed the blanket that had dropped to the floor and then draped it over both of them. "So, what are you doing up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep very well."

"Why not?"

"The couch isn't made for sleeping." He shrugged. "But I'd rather you and Ralph have a good night of rest so I made due." Walter added quickly. He might not understand emotion, but he's been around Paige long enough to recognize her facial cues when she was angry or upset.

"Thank you." Paige replied with a smile. She leaned her head against his shoulder. He froze in place, causing a light giggle from Paige. He didn't question it, though. He figured she was laughing at his rigid response. She found his left hand underneath the blanket and coiled her fingers around his. He was still a little stiff from the unfamiliar territory she was slowly coaxing him into. "When Ralph has a hard time sleeping, he usually finds comfort sleeping in my arms. Perhaps a similar concept could be the same for you. Just lay your head on top of mine and close your eyes. The rest should follow."

Considering Paige's suggestion as an experiment, he did as she advised. But he didn't close his eyes. Not yet. He wanted to stay awake a little while longer before falling to sleep. He smelled lavender. Paige's shampoo scent, no doubt. He could tell Paige was starting to drift back to sleep; her body started to lean against his a little more. He could also tell he was starting to fall asleep too.

"Paige?" he whispered softly in case she was already sleeping.

"Hm?"

"Most of the time, when Ralph claims he has a hard time sleeping and crawls into bed with you, it isn't because he can't sleep."

"Oh? What is it then?" Her voice was fading.

His was too. "It's another conduit for him to connect with you. To show you that he...loves…you." Walter's voice faded as slept took over him. Paige was right; her experiment _did _work. Perhaps another trial was in order.

**~ Scorpion ~**

A few hours later, Ralph woke up to find himself in Walter's bedroom. He looked around the room but couldn't find his mom. He figured she was still sleeping on the couch downstairs. After a much needed yawn, he stretched and then hopped off of the bed to find his mom and Walter. He wasn't worried. He knew that wherever his mom was, Walter wasn't too far away from her. He was always there. Watching her. Observing her. Thinking about her. Ralph knew Walter found something intriguing about his mother, just as he did as well. His mom was certainly one of a kind. And Walter knew that.

Ralph walked down the hall and headed for the main living space on the upper floor. He was thirsty. And hungry. He looked at the analog clock hanging in the hallway. 8:43 AM. Time for breakfast. When he walked into the living space, he saw his mom and Walter sleeping on the couch together. Their heads were pressing against each other, and they looked very peaceful. He smiled. He then saw Toby taking a picture of the pair with his phone. Happy was doing the same. Sylvester was trying to respect Walter and his mother's privacy. Cabe also smiled at the two and then walked over to Ralph.

"Come on, kiddo. Let's get some breakfast." Cabe took Ralph's hand and led him down the stairs as the rest of the crew slowly followed.

**~ Scorpion ~**

Walter opened his eyes when he heard his ringtone go off and groaned. Paige was still resting peacefully next to him. Careful not to wake her, he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

It was a text from Toby: While you and our communications liaison were sleeping together – don't roll your eyes at me, Walter – the rest of the team, Ralph included, went to Denny's for breakfast. Feel free to meet us here for some sustenance.

Walter was about to wake Paige up, but his phone buzzed again.

Toby again: By the way, we have physical evidence of your little slumber party, Walter. Don't think you can simply block that oh so precious memory off simply because you "might" have actually _enjoyed _yourself.

Walter jammed his phone back into his pocket. He was going to have to remind himself to hack into Toby's phone later.

His phone buzzed yet again.

Toby: I know what you're thinking, Walter. Don't bother hacking into my phone later. I know how to back up files too you know.

Walter silenced his phone and then nudged Paige awake. Her eyes fluttered open as she sat up and stretched her muscles. "Good morning," she smiled, her hand still holding his. "Did you sleep better?"

"Your experiment worked." Walter replied as he rose to his feet and then pulled her with him.

"Good." Paige laughed.

"By the way, the rest of the team are at Denny's. Hungry?"

"Starving," Paige placed her free hand on her belly.

"Me too. Let's go." Walter said as he pulled the young mother along with him. He felt an unfamiliar sensation when she squeezed his hand, but it was a pleasant feeling. He considered everything he did with Paige as experiments. His internal and physical responses were, in his mind, the manipulated variables; Paige was the controlled variable. To him, her significance to the team will never change. Like Ralph said the night before; Paige was a constant. And Walter believed it too.

When they arrived, Toby, Happy and Sylvester were sitting at one booth, and Cabe and Ralph were sitting behind them.

"Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauties!" Toby winked. Walter noticed Toby looking at their conjoined hands. "I see your relationship has…upgraded…since our last encounter."

"And I think your brain has shrunk since _our _last encounter," Happy fired back. "Leave them be and eat your pancakes."

"Oh, stop, you." Toby flipped his wrist in a jokingly manner and grinned a sheepish grin. "You know your insults only turn me on, right?"

"Guys," Sylvester placed his palms on both Toby's and Happy's shoulders, "Paige doesn't like it when you talk like that in front of Ralph. We should respect her wishes."

"In other words, Toby." Happy looked over at Ralph who was focused on his own food. "Sylvester wants you to shut up."

"I didn't say that, Happy," Sylvester frowned. He looked at Toby. "Feel free to talk whenever you want, Toby. Just be mindful of what you say."

Walter smirked at Sylvester's gentle response. One of the reasons he favors Sylvester so much is because the human calculator has his own way in keeping the peace. While Toby and Happy usually bicker back and forth, Sylvester is either trying the mediate the two of them or is off in his own world of numbers. Cabe and Ralph were sitting next together with Ralph sitting on the inside of the booth. Paige slid in the booth to sit across from her son as Walter sat across from Cabe.

"Slow day at work?" Walter asked Cabe after he and Paige ordered their meal.

"Something like that." Cabe shrugged. "Just waiting for them to call me in. Perhaps, this time, all of you would actually get to work a case."

"Yeah, that would be nice." Toby replied, over the backside of the booth. "I want some money."

"You would have money if you didn't lose at Poker every single night." Happy retorted.

"Hey, now. I don't lose every night…nor play every night for that matter." Toby defended himself.

"How many games have you lost this week, then? Seven?"

"Six. But who's counting?" Toby deadpanned. "At least I don't go off and race Lamborghinis every single time I need to meditate." Walter could feel three heated stares coming from the booth behind him.

"Who raced a Lamborghini?" Paige asked with eyebrows raised as she turned to look at the group behind her. "Well?"

"Yeah, Walter!" Happy chimed in. "Who raced a Lamborghini the last time he needed to blow some steam?"

Paige looked at Walter as he ever so slightly slumped his shoulders. He turned around and peered around the corner of the booth. "It was twice, okay? Twice! That was many years ago."

"And here I was thinking you play Minecraft when you're pissed off." Cabe replied with a perplexed brow. Never pegged you as a street racing type."

"It was a hobby at one time." Walter admitted to Cabe. "But after the last outcome, you can be rest assured that I won't do _that _again."

In truth, he had very much wanted to go street racing when Drew first came back into Ralph's life. He felt like he needed to take off some of the edge a little bit, but Paige had managed to calm the waters before he left to do such a thing.

"Did you at least win?" Cabe asked.

"There was a miscalculated mishap. Let's just leave it at that." Walter refused to talk more about. Paige squeezed his hand and then finally released it when their food came. The day had already started off as bizarre…; Walter could only imagine what the rest of the day might bring.

**~ Scorpion ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_And there you are! (by the way, when I started writing this, it was Dec. 01 – not Dec. 02) _

_Guess how old I am now. :) _

_Let me know what you think of the chapter. _


	9. Chapter 9

**WriterFreak001: **

Wow! 101 Reviews! :) I am so happy! :D

By the way, "Revenge" was an AMAZING episode! If you want to read some of my fangirling on it, go to my _Scorpion _tumblr page: A Beautiful Mind WF001. You might like what you find. Hee hee. Also, follow me on Twitter: WriterFreak001. I may have to make a separate Twitter account for _Scorpion _peeps because my current one is maxed out on people I can follow. Soooo you can follow me, but I can't follow you…. for right now.

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 9**

**~ S****corpion ~**

After breakfast, the team returned to the Cyclone, while Cabe went back to Homeland to see if there were any cases available. Toby went straight to his X-Box Live station and started playing Halo. Happy sat on the couch and continued reading one of her anger management books, while Sylvester and Ralph wrote algorithms on the blackboard. Walter resumed his experiments with Cabe Jr. while Paige kept him company.

"Out of curiosity," Paige said as she leaned against the bookcase facing Walter, "why do scientists use mice and rats for certain experiments prior to human trials? The last time I checked, humans don't have whiskers nor tails growing out of them."

Walter chuckled lightly as he tried connecting Cabe Jr. to small electrodes. "Have you ever read _Flowers for Algernon_?"

"That depressing mouse story?" Paige's eyebrow rose. "Yeah, why?"

"Although the premise of the story is quite fictional, the theories behind the experiments done on Algernon are what's important to scientists. It's plausible a scenario like _Flowers for Algernon _might happen in the future when the technology catches up with the idea, but as things are today, increasing the intellect of a rodent is quite fictitious." Walter smiled and then continued, "For many reasons, mice and rats are efficient for laboratory experiments. One is convenience. Since they are small and can adapt to new surroundings, they can be easily contained as well as maintained. Rodents also reproduce rather quickly and have a short lifespan ranging from two to three years; basically, scientists can experiment with several generations of mice and rats over short periods of time. They're also inexpensive, and if I wanted to, I could buy mice like Cabe Jr. in large quantities. Usually, mice are docile, but Cabe Jr. seems to be a different story. He's certainly more obstinate than previous mice I have experimented with. Another good reason mice are proficient to use is that they have similar genetic, biological and behavioral characteristics to humans. They also can contract many diseases that humans can contract, and they display the same types of symptoms too. Think of the Black Plague. Had Europe known that rats were the reason bodies were dropping everywhere, they might have been able to do something about it."

"I have to wonder if Cabe Jr. knows how unique he is to humans." Paige laughed as Walter struggled to connect the rodent to the electrodes.

"Believe me, he doesn't." Walter replied as Cabe Jr. tried to wiggle out of his hands. "Hey, stop that." Walter lightly tapped Cabe Jr.'s back, but the mouse continued to squirm as he tried to place the electrodes on him.

"Here, let me try." Paige walked over to Walter. "Perhaps, all Cabe Jr. needs is a gentle touch."

"I highly doubt it."

"Oh, just give him to me, Walter." Paige rolled her eyes, and Walter complied. He placed Cabe Jr. into the palm of Paige's left hand and then she gently stroke the mouse's neck and back. Cabe Jr. seemed as though he was enjoying her soft ministrations. "That's it," she whispered towards the rodent as she continued to pet him. "That's it, you're safe. I won't hurt you."

Walter watched her coddle the mouse. Cabe Jr.'s nose wiggled, and his whiskers vibrated as he sniffed the air. How she managed to calm the mouse was beyond him; he certainly couldn't do it.

To Walter's surprise, Paige kissed Cabe Jr.'s head, and he snuggled his cheek against her chin. She giggled. The interaction Paige was having with Cabe Jr. was highly intriguing and more entertaining – dare he think of it – than experimenting with the mouse.

"Is it possible for you to hold off on your experiments for a day or so?" Paige asked as she held Cabe Jr. against her chest. "I know you're trying to find a solution for your sister, but trying to experiment with an unwilling mouse is futile; it's best to wait until Cabe Jr. trusts you."

Walter sighed. He hadn't had much luck with Cabe Jr. in the past few weeks; a few more days wouldn't hurt. "You don't think he trusts me?"

"How long have you had him?"

"A few months," Walter shrugged.

"Ah," Paige nodded. She placed Cabe Jr. back into his cage and then turned to face Walter. "That explains things, then."

"That explains what?"

"I don't know how often you've successfully experimented with mice before, but the first and most important thing about owning mice is to gain their trust. No offence, Walter, but the way you were holding him, with your fingers enclosed around his body, most likely scared him." Paige's palm found Walter's arm. She squeezed it. "You need to show Cabe Jr. that you're not going to hurt him; mice don't liked to be squeezed. They need a gentle touch in order to make them feel safe and protected. Understand?"

"So…, you think that if I gain Cabe Jr.'s trust, he'll eventually let me connect him to the electrodes?"

"Eventually," Paige smiled. "But…take baby steps with him. I know I wouldn't like strange wires waving in front of my face or being connected to me – especially on first contact. Perhaps, after you've gained his trust, let him sniff the electrodes. He needs to see for himself that they aren't something that'll hurt him. Once he figures that out, he'll be more willing to participate." Paige led Walter to the couch, and they sat down next to each other. Walter was a little annoyed that he had to wait a few more days in order to work on his experiments, but he knew it couldn't be helped. "Don't worry, Walter. I'm sure you'll figure something out someday." She leaned her head against his shoulder. He stiffened again but was a little more relaxed than the last time she leaned against him. Figuring something out wasn't a problem for Walter; he was confident he would eventually find a cure or some sort of solution. He was more worried about time. With each day, Megan's disease worsens; there was only so much he could presently do to help her – and even that wasn't all that much.

"You seem to know a lot about mice." Walter said as he stared at the lab table in front of him.

"I used to own one when I was Ralph's age. I may not have a lot of knowledge about the way mice think or how their biological makeups are similar to humans, but I do know a great deal as to how mice react and interact with people."

"That seems familiar," Walter finally looked at Paige, and she was smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile in return.

"Very," Paige nodded. Walter saw her cheeks flush with color as something caught her attention. "T-toby!"

Walter snapped his head towards the grinning behaviorist who was standing very sheepishly at the top of the stairs.

"Helloooo," Toby waved and wiggled his fingers. "I was _wondering _when you two were going to snap out of it."

Paige immediately rose to her feet, but she was as rigid as Walter was sitting down. Toby's grin widened even more. "Do I detect a sense of embarrassment, Paige?" He walked closer to them. "You're blushing, you're stiff as a rock and you're avoiding eye contact, Ms. Rodent Liaison," Toby chuckled. "Something tells me you were hoping for things to escalate before you noticed my presence."

Walter glared at Toby. "Is there a reason you came up here?"

"Despite being a condescending jackass, yes. I actually _did _have a purpose for waltzing in on you two lovebirds," Walter's gulp did not go unnoticed by Toby, making him snicker even more, "during the middle of the morning." Toby crossed his arms in front of him and leaned against the stair railing. "For a techy guy, Walter, you never seem to pay attention to your phone." Walter jammed his hand into his pocket, pulled out his phone and found three missed calls from Cabe. "In case your 197 IQ couldn't figure it out, Cabe has a case for us. FINALLY. Before he blows a gasket, you should probably text him back because he seemed pretty pissed on the phone a few minutes ago."

"I'm going to…check on Ralph." Paige's voice cracked as she quickly left for the stairs.

Walter finished texting Cabe and then rose to his feet. He quickly recovered from his brief moment of distress and headed for the stairs himself, but Toby stopped him by placing his palm on Walter's shoulder. "Hey, a word of advice for you, Walt."

"What?"

"Empathy or no empathy, Walter, I can tell you have a thing for Paige. It was written all over your face earlier this morning and just now." Toby said as he straightened his fedora.

"I don't need to be psychoanalyzed, Toby." Walter tried to shake the shrink loose, but Toby pulled him back towards him.

"I'm not talking as a shrink, Walt. I'm talking as a friend. And as your _friend_, I can tell you like Paige. You already adore her son – don't deny it Walter. You show more emotion with Ralph and Paige then you do with Cabe or Sylvester – and that's saying something since you look up to Cabe and Sly looks up to you. Hell, you're like a freakin' rock around Happy, and you purposely hide whatever emotion you feel around me. I know how much you hate being psychoanalyzed, so that is why I am talking to you as a friend, okay?" Walter nodded, so Toby continued. "In the past, you could only withstand a single physical relationship with a woman for only three months; I have to believe you're intentions with Paige are different. You look at her differently than you did with the others. I'm not saying that says something; I'm just pointing out an observation. And _with _that observation, I think you need to take a step back – especially since Deadbeat Dad is in town."

Walter frowned. "Not that it is any of your business, Toby, but I have factored Ralph's father in the equation – multiple times. Cabe has already given me some sort of talk already, okay? Okay." Walter patted Toby on the shoulder and then sidestepped away from him. "Oh, and another thing." Walter stood at the top of the steps but didn't look away from Toby. "Rest assure that my intentions – as you put it – are nothing more than to provide a safe haven for Paige and Ralph and make sure they know that they are a part of the Cyclone."

"If you say so," Toby shrugged, but Walter could tell the shrink was unconvinced. Oh well. At least it would be dropped for now.

As Walter walked down the stairs, Cabe was standing at the foot of the flight, tapping his foot impatiently. "What are you, a cheerleader? Come on! Let's go!"

Walter and Toby picked up their paces and hurried to the van where everyone else was already waiting for them. On the way to their destination, they dropped Ralph off with one of Paige's friends and then headed for the center of the city.

**~ SCORPION ~**

"He's coming down the west wing!" Walter heard Sylvester shout inside his earbud. "He has weapons so please be careful!"

"I'm in that area," Walter said as he started sprinting down towards the west wing. "He won't get away."

"Don't do anything stupid, dumbass!" Cabe's voice echoed into his ear. "Wait until I get there."

"What's your ETA?" Walter asked.

"Five minutes. Tops."

Walter shook his head. "No time." Walter saw the perpetrator make a left turn; he did the same. He chased the perp all the way down the hallway and down a flight of stairs. "Where is he heading now?" Walter asked as he continued running. The perpetrator shot at him; he quickly hid behind a corner to avoid the bullets. He exhaled a quick breath of air. "Sylvester?"

"He's stopped…; he's in the mainframe." Sylvester replied. "You better hurry Walter; if he succeeds, those drones will be headed straight for the International Commerce Centre, and there would only be a 2% chance of stopping them in time." Sylvester was panicking.

Walter headed for the door where the mainframe is located and twisted the handle. He slowly opened the door and peeked inside the room to see if he could see the perpetrator. He slowly crept inside and saw the perp connecting a chip into the mainframe. "Hey!" Walter shouted, catching the perpetrator's attention. Walter saw Cabe creeping his way inside the mainframe so Walter continued to distract the perpetrator. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Shut up!"

"You're at the end of the line. Succeed or don't succeed, you're finished. The entire LAPD, SWAT, National Guard and Homeland Security are outside waiting for you to leave." Walter said as he slowly approached the culprit. Walter kept his eye on that microchip. If the perpetrator inserted it into the mainframe, it would be all over. Even if Walter removed the chip from the server, the virus would still be inside the system.

Just as he was about to insert the chip, Walter signaled Cabe to approach. As Walter went for the chip, Cabe charged the culprit and knocked him down to the ground. "Homeland Security; you're under arrest." Cabe spat as he pressed the culprit's face against the floor. Toby walked inside and bent down in front of Cabe and the perp.

"Now let's see which unlucky bastard is behind Curtain Number One!" He yanked the mask off of the perpetrator. The identification was a shock to everyone. "Chuck Miller, the Security Guard of the International Commerce Centre?" Toby frowned. "Of all of the people I saw on that list the manager handed to me, I never even considered _you _as a prime suspect. Let me guess…. Your boss slept with your wife so you thought a full-out drone attack would do the job for you?"

Chuck spat. "That bastard slept with my sixteen-year-old daughter!"

"Ick." Toby cringed. "Well, I hear people have killed for less," he shrugged. As Cabe took Chuck away, Toby helped Walter up to his feet. "Come on, Mr. 197. Let's go and get drunk."

"Uh, guys? We've got a problem." Happy suddenly said over the intercom.

"What is it, Happy?" Walter asked as he faced the surveillance camera.

"Seems like Chuck, the Security Guard, left four failsafes in case his first plan failed." Happy replied, disturbed. "It would seem that the security office had installed some form of EDS device within the cameras – like the guys running this company are paranoid…. Very paranoid. Anyway, the EDS device picked up signatures at each of the four corners of the building, and if those are what I think they are, we're going to have a lot more problems on our hands."

"Okay. Get out of the building, Happy and make sure Paige is safe too."

"Paige is fine. She's in the van with Sylvester, making sure he doesn't puke all over the equipment. I can help. Start seeing if you can deactivate one." When Walter couldn't here Happy's voice anymore, he turned to Toby.

"In case things don't run smoothly down here, I need you to evacuate the building. Use the intercom system if you have to. Just do something quickly and get out of here." Walter didn't waste any time. Toby seemed as though he was about to argue, but he didn't. He made his way to the door when Happy came in.

"Be careful, Happy." Toby said quickly.

"You too, doc." Happy replied before Toby left to the security room. Happy ran to the bomb on the other side of the room. Walter deactivated one already and started on the second one. In a few minutes, both Happy and Walter deactivated all four bombs. "I guess it's a good thing Chuck wasn't a great engineer."

Walter nodded. He scanned the room to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. "Are you sure there were only four signatures?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Walter said as they headed out of the mainframe. Happy stepped to the right and started walking down the hallway when Walter felt a click underneath his foot. He froze. Happy heard it too.

"Whatever you do, Walt, don't move. I think we miscalculated…. Chuck may have paid someone to douse the room with explosives, and you might have just stepped on a pressure plate." Happy pulled out her phone. "I'll call Cabe. He can get the Bomb Squad in here. They'll need to go to the floor below us…."

"Don't move either," Walter said as he stood completely still. "You don't know how many places were rigged."

Happy ignored Walter and dialed Cabe, putting him on speaker.

"What is it now?" Cabe was aggravated.

"We've got a problem." Happy replied.

"Which is…?"

"Walt may have stepped on a pressure plate." Happy said before both of them heard a long string of profanity.

"Well, get the hell off my phone so I can call it in." Cabe swore.

"Affirmative." Happy nodded and then hung up.

"What are you two still doing over here?" Toby asked as he started making his way towards them.

"Stay back!" Both Happy and Walter shouted in unison.

"Wha-why?" Toby asked as he stepped a few feet backwards.

"Walter stepped on a pressure plate. There's a possibility that there are more of them here."

"Well, Walter ran down this hallway before, right? What are the chances of him stepping on every "good" spot on his way to the mainframe?"

"If the entire hallway was covered in pressure plates, then Walter would have had a 5% chance of walking down the hallway unharmed. The chances of missing one pressure plate is 91% when considering the number of tiles in the hallway and the breadth of Walter's stride." Sylvester replied into their earbuds in full panic. "By the way, the moment Paige overheard what's going on, she bolted out of the van and headed inside the building.

Cabe finally appeared at the end of the hallway too. "Other than the obvious, what will happen if the pressure plate is shifted?"

"Assuming that he put the pressure plate out here," Walter said, remaining as calm as possible, "in order to trigger a bomb or a series of bombs inside the mainframe, the entire wing will most likely be destroyed. Luckily, Chuck never inserted the chip; meaning, the drones will not redirect their course if these servers are destroyed. It's sort of similar to the plane analogy where planes have the same system onboard until landing."

"That's a relief, then." Cabe sighed.

"You _do _realize we'll all be dead if that happens, right?" Toby raised an eyebrow as he turned towards Cabe. "Even if we attempt to leave; we're on the thirtieth floor of the building. If the entire wing goes down, then we might be having another 9-11 on our hands. On a smaller scale, most likely, but probably just as cataclysmic."

"We would have had a repeat of 9-11 anyway had the drones hit the building."

Cabe's phone beeped. He checked it and sighed. "Looks like the Bomb Squad are on their way up. They'll survey the hallway and make sure nothing else is keeping us from getting over to Walter and Happy."

"They need to check all hallways with entrances into the mainframe. I have a feeling there's more than one pressure plate." Walter hollered at Cabe.

"Dually noted!" Cabe shouted back before calling the squad.

When he was done, Toby said, "You know…. This doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?" Cabe asked.

"Chuck is just a normal security guard. Based on the number of years he's been in service, he wouldn't throw all of it away by all these bombs. Sure, he might want some revenge and would want to bomb the living lights out of his boss, but why would he ruin everything he's accomplished? It just doesn't make sense."

"It almost never does." Cabe sighed. Cabe's phone rang again. He answered the text and then heaved a heavy sigh. "Looks like you might be right, Toby. Hey Guys!," Cabe called out to Walter and Happy, "Chuck's not the same guy; Homeland has determined that Chuck is mentally ill. He wouldn't have the brains to do any of this stuff. I'm beginning to think that he was being used…by a psychopath."

"That means the bomber is either still inside the building, or he is on ground level looking at his handiwork." Toby said with a frown. "Greeeeat. Just great."

Walter's phone buzzed so he carefully answered it. "Paige?"

"How are you holding up?" she asked out of concern.

"Fine for now. Where are you?"

"In the mainframe." Paige replied. "That's where I thought you were."

Walter inwardly cursed. That meant she was stuck in the area until the Bomb Squad could make an appearance. "We're all in the west wing side of the mainframe. If you can remember every step you took getting here, retrace them and seek safety."

"Why?"

"Because there's a chance all hallways are rigged with bombs too." Walter replied as he felt the door behind him slowly open. Walter slowly put away his phone before he felt Paige's hand take his palm into hers. He wanted to turn around and tell her to go back to safety, but he was sure she didn't want to move an inch.

"Paige," he muttered softly, "You need to go back."

"No."

"It's not a suggestion, Paige." Happy stated. "Walt wants you to go back to Sylvester because it's safer out there than in here."

"Ralph needs you, Paige." Walter added.

Paige's voice hesitated for a second. "You're right, Ralph needs me."

"Yes he does." Walter nodded.

Paige took in a deep breath and then leaned her forehead against Walter's back. He felt a slight tingle run up his spine as her hot breath brushed across his neck. "Come back safely, okay?"

Walter didn't want to lie. "I'll try."

Paige planted a soft kiss on the back of his shoulder and then whispered, "Ralph needs you too, Walter." And then her touch was gone.

And so was she.

"So, Walter, what do you want to do now?" Happy asked as she leaned against the wall.

"Survive this." Walter replied as he closed his eyes. He needed to think.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I am an official college graduate as of today! Yay me! Anyway, I did not plan for this case to happen in the story, but I felt like they needed a case since the show is revolved around Team Scorpion figuring cases out and such. Soooo…yeah. Hope it didn't suck for ya. _

_Let me know what you think! More to come! :) _


	10. Chapter 10

**WriterFreak001: **

Has anybody else seen the clips for the newest episode of _Scorpion_? I loved both of them! Especially Toby's remark to Paige! :D Waige or no Waige interaction in this episode, I can tell "Dominoes" is going to be a great one! Hmmm…I wonder if there will be a mistletoe at the Cyclone HQ during their Christmas celebration. ;)

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 10**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

"What's the Bomb Squad's ETA?" Happy hollered towards Cabe as Walter continued to analyze all possible scenarios. Toby had just confirmed that the entire building has been fully evacuated – except for them, of course, but at least the civilians would have a chance. Cabe was recently informed by Homeland that roads have been blocked about a quarter of a mile in each direction and that workers in the surrounding buildings were asked to pack up and leave for home. If the worst shall come to pass, at least there would be fewer casualties. The odds of everyone surviving this ordeal if the bomb goes off was slim to none.

"Ten minutes. The elevator has been shut down; they have to take the stairs." Cabe replied as he ended his phone call.

Happy groaned. "In ten minutes, this building could be in a pile of rubble." Happy started staring at the ceiling. Walter looked up too, trying to see what she saw. There was a pipeline running along the ceiling that covered the entire span of the hallway.

"Happy, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, it's too risky. The pipe is too rusty and could burst with enough stress. If the hallway is rigged with pressure points and you f—"

"Oh shut up, Walt, and let me save you for once." Happy snapped as she rubbed her hands together. She bent down to the floor and slowly aligned herself with the pipe until she was directly underneath it. "Hey, Sly," she said as she covered her ear, "Does this PVC pipeline run all the way to the stairs?"

"Hm...," Sly's voice could be heard in everyone's ear pieces. "As a matter of fact, yes! It does."

"Cool." Happy said and, without warning, she jumped upwards and caught onto the pipe with both hands. "All right, I'm going to head for the stairs and see if I can deactivate the bomb underneath Walt – and any other bomb that might be waiting for someone to step on it. That should give us a little advantage until Bomb Squad gets their asses up here."

"Be careful, Happy." Walter said.

"Yeah. I'll be really pissed at you Walter if you blow all of us up." Happy frowned and then swung forward like a monkey. As Walter watched her head for the end of the hallway where Toby and Cabe were standing, he could have sworn he heard Toby say something mildly inappropriate, but he couldn't be too sure.

"Cabe," Walter shouted, getting the agent's attention, "Any news on whether or not someone has caught the terrorist?"

"Not yet. There's no telling where he is or who he is." Cabe frowned.

Walter looked directly at Toby.

"Say no more," Toby held up a hand. "I'll just pull a Happy and monkey-bar my way out of here." He jumped upwards and reached for the pipe, but missed. He tried a few more times but couldn't reach it. "She must have more power in her legs." He mused. He scanned the hallway leading towards the stairs. "So Sly said 5% and 91%... Basically, my odds are either death or potential survival..."

"You're a freakin' shrink; can't you just stare at the floor tiles and figure out which ones are bad apples?" Cabe was growing impatient.

"You do realize that you're asking me to psychoanalyze slate, right?" He raised a brow. "That's like talking to a brick wall…."

Knowing that it was more imperative that they catch the terrorist than worry about his life, Walter called out to Toby. "Think of it as Minesweeper, Toby. That's basically what we're dealing with here."

Toby smirked. "I do love Minesweeper." Then he turned to Walter. "But, again, Minesweeper is a computer game. Hence, computer. Meaning, I don't get physically blown up in the process. You really want me to risk stepping on a mine, Walt?"

"If it means catching the terrorist, yes." Walter nodded.

"Ouch. If this is Sayonara, I'm going to act like you were more heartfelt than that, Walter." Toby replied and then turned to face the other hallway. "Okay, it's like playing Hopscotch and Minesweeper...how hard can it be?" Toby tiptoed onto the first tile and disappeared down the hallway. "If I die Walter," Toby hollered from around the corner, "I am so going to enjoy psychoanalyzing your ass from my grave."

Walter pressed his lips together and nodded. "Dually noted!

"Act like you care, dammit!" Toby shouted. A few minutes later, he called out, telling Walter he made it to the stairs alive. Good. That was one less person to worry about.

Walter's phone rang. He answered it and pressed it against his ear. "Happy?"

"I'm in the vent directly below you. The pressure plate you're standing on wasn't an amateur job; someone with real talent put this thing together. A section on the top part of the vent has been cut out, and it looks as though the mortar along the sides of the tile you are standing on has been recently replaced. Based on what I can see from in here, the tile you are standing on is not the same kind of tile the rest of the hallway has. The hallway was built with slate tiles; this one is hard plastic – and homemade. Whoever did this, embedded the pressure point within this synthetic tile. The cut was made so that wiring can lead into the vent; from where I am, I can see at least five or six units wired in parallel circuits. If you step off of the plate, the entire system goes off; it will most likely bomb the entire floor out." Happy said in an angry tone. "I can't even attempt to unwire the circuit without risk. For all we know, unwiring something might trigger a clock. Luckily, there's no clock nor gears running, so the only thing that can trigger the bombs is the pressure plate."

"Okay." Walter nodded. "Good work. The Bomb Squad should be arriving any minute. Help them with whatever they need, but if nothing is resolved in twenty minutes, leave the premise immediately."

"If you think I'm going to leave your ass in this building simply because you want to be a hero again, you've got another thing coming. If you're not leaving, I'm not leaving. I'm heading up. I can at least help by marking all of the tiles that have new mortar. That should tell us which ones are rigged."

"Good idea." Walter nodded. "If you can point them out, Cabe can mark them up. He looks like he needs to be doing something. But before then, make sure you wait and tell the Bomb Squad what you've discovered. We don't want them going in there blindly; they're not as smart as us. They could easily make a mistake."

"Roger that." Happy said before she ended the call.

Walter kept his phone out and held it in his hand. He didn't know how much longer he could stand without moving. He didn't dare risk locking his knees. Locking the knees would lead to fatigue in a matter of minutes. His phone rang. Toby.

"Yeah?"

"The terrorist has been arrested, all thanks to me. He was some crazy-ass dude who hated the world because he felt like the world hated him; anyway, Sylvester had one of Homeland's officers move the van about 100 yards away from its original location."

Walter chuckled a little bit. He would be surprised if Sylvester _hadn't _had the van moved due to the drear circumstances. Then Walter frowned. "Why didn't Paige move the van for him?"

"Oh yeah, that's another thing. She's not here…. She might be still in the building." Toby said; he sounded disappointed. "Want me to look for her?"

"Not yet. Let me call her. She might with Ralph." Walter replied. Before Toby could answer, Walter ended the call and then dialed Paige's number. She didn't answer. He dialed it again, hoping for a different result, but her phone went straight to voice-mail. Walter didn't like this one bit.

"Something wrong?" Cabe called out to him. "You have that look on your face."

"I can't seem to get hold of Paige." Walter replied. "Toby claims that she's not at the van with Sylvester."

"She might be with Ralph." Cabe shrugged. "Don't worry, kid. I'm sure she's fine."

"Here!" Walter heard Happy's voice as a marker was tossed towards Cabe. "I'm going to tell you which ones to mark so draw a square along the mortar around the bad ones."

"It's a good thing I was one of the best damn colorers in my first grade class." Cabe deadpanned as he started marking the ones Happy told him to mark. It took a total of ten minutes to mark the two hallways.

When they came back, Happy faced Walter. "I briefed the squad so they're working on the matter as we speak. They're going to send one of their guys up in about thirty minutes to debrief you of what's going on. I'm going to go down there and check on them." Happy pointed behind her. "You going to be cook here with Cabe?"

"I'll manage." Walter smiled. "Hey, Happy, before you do that, could you do me a favor and look for Paige? I can't get hold of her, and Toby claims she's not in the van."

"Sure." Happy nodded. "I'll call you if I find her."

"Thanks." Walter said as Happy started walking away.

Toby called again. "Hate to break it to you, but you guys gotta scram. Like now. There's a third guy involved according to Interpol; he's a Russian Activist who is willing to _die _in order to achieve his goals. Interpol has been tracking these guys for years, and they have always worked together, dragging in pawns – like Chuck – to do their bidding. Chuck failed so they had failsafes installed – hence the Minesweeper field you guys have up there. Something tells me that if you don't step off of that pressure plate soon, the crazy Russian is going to finish the job."

"Any news on Paige's whereabouts?" Walter asked as he took in Toby's suggestion for consideration.

"Nothing yet. Sylvester can't track her phone either. The signal's been jammed." Toby replied; "What do you want us to do, Walt?"

"Stay down there." Walter ordered. If you were a Russian terrorist, consider where you would go in order to blow yourself up. Once you've figured that out, tell Homeland and Interpol. Tell anyone who is willing to risk their lives in order to keep this building from falling down."

"Got it." Toby said before ending the call.

"That was Homeland, just now," Cabe said as he carefully approached Walter. There's a th—"

"Third man; I know." Walter nodded. "Toby just called."

"I'm going to track that son of a bitch down. Will you be all right by yourself?"

"I should be." Walter nodded. He wasn't going to admit that he was growing tired of standing. "Do what needs to get done."

"Roger that. Don't get killed, kid."

"Same to you." Walter said before Cabe began to hop scotch his way out of the hallway. He closed his eyes and tried to focus so he wouldn't slip up. He couldn't afford to fail the team. Not when so many lives are at stake. Even if the building was evacuated, there are still surrounding businesses that would be affected by the falling rubble. Not to mention all of the chemicals that would be released into the air.

Several minutes later, a voice sounded from around the hallway. "How are you doing over there?" Must be one of the squad members.

"Just peachy." He yelled back. "What's your status?"

"You're good to go, Mr. O'Brien. All units hardwired into the circuit of that particular pressure plate have been deactivated and removed from the venting system." The squad member replied.

"Are you sure?" Walter was not convinced.

"Yes. If you want me to, I can contact you with my boss and have him tell you himself." The member offered.

Before Walter could answer, his phone went off. It was Happy.

He pressed the phone to his ear and waited for the mechanic to speak. "Walt, couldn't find Paige. Sorry. I'm back in the level below you and wanted you to know that you're free to move again. As soon as you've left for the stairs, they're going to start dismantling the bombs under the other pressure plates."

"Okay. Good." Walter nodded. "You stay and help them. I'm going to go and look for Paige. Be careful, Happy."

"You too, Walt." Happy said and then ended the call.

Trusting Happy's judgment, he shifted his weight slightly as a test, and when nothing happened, he causally stepped off of it, somewhat grateful that he wasn't in a million pieces. He turned to the Bomb Squad member. "Go and help your team; I've gotta help mine."

And with that, he mad-dashed for the stairs, making sure he didn't step on a marked tile, and left to find Paige. He would search the entire building, floor-by-floor if he had to. Scorpion watches over its own, and he wasn't going to leave the building until _after _he knew Paige was safe. And since her phone signal was jammed, the odds of Paige being okay was slim. But Walter would take "slim" over "none" any day. This was a problem he needed to solve, and he wasn't going to give up. Never would he give up on a member of Scorpion.

Never.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Sooo...I wrote this chapter between 12 am and 2 am. Hopefully it isn't a piece of junk, lol. I'll re-read it tomorrow and make sure there aren't any major typos in the chapter.  
><em>

_Other than that, what did you think? Want more?  
><em>


	11. Chapter 11

**WriterFreak001: **

**I originally wrote and published chapter, but I realized how much I didn't like it so I decided to start it over. I want to implement more WAIGE into the chapter so it will be significantly different than what was previously written. I hope you like it all the same! :) I'm going to write this chapter in Paige's POV at some points.**

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><p>I am on a roll! Just to let you know, while I have an overarching theme as to where this story will ultimately go, I do not plan for what happens in between. I let my fingers take care of that messy business. Everything I write is randomly sewn together, but it ultimately fits the storyline. This technique, on my part, helps me write longer stories instead of shorter ones. It helps me keep readers engaged because everything I write comes firsthand to me as it does to you when you read it. It's all fresh; nothing is hardly ever planned out or revised. If I reread a chapter after I have posted it and find errors, I will go in and fix them, but overall, everything I write is fresh for me just as it is for you. So, as I am typing this part out, I literally do not know what will happen in this chapter. I cannot tell you if the case will be over by the end of the chapter, or if there are more complications along the way; I honestly can't tell you. Anyway, enjoy!<p>

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><p><strong><span>Title<span>** | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns **_Scorpion_**, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><strong><span>Deception<span>**

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 11**

**~ SCORPION ~**

Walter had to compartmentalize whatever inner turmoil he was experiencing with the thought of Paige missing inside a building that could fall into shambles at any minute. There was no telling how many – if there were any more – bombs the terrorist could have planted, nor was there a way to find out if he had explosives on him. Walter was running into risky territory, but Paige was a part of the Cyclone; she was worth the risk.

Despite Director Merrick's orders, Walter took the elevator down to the twentieth level of the building. He had done the math; most terrorists seek optimal damage; not only would striking the lower half of the building cause maximum damage to the its center of gravity and would most likely result in a cataclysmic collapse, but surrounding buildings would be in jeopardy as well. However, the possibility of the terrorist knowing that everyone has been evacuated within a certain mile radius was slim, but it certainly wasn't out of the realm of possibility, either.

He turned his communication device off so he could concentrate. He couldn't deal with the extra distractions when one of his team members was missing. Even though he wanted to search for Paige and make sure she was all right, he knew that everyone's best chance was for him to locate the terrorist. If he could find the terrorist and stop him, then Paige would be safe. It was the most efficient way to save her.

As he left the elevator, he felt his phone vibrating. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw Toby's name blaring from the screen. He released a heavy sigh and answered. "What is it, Toby?"

"First of all; in a time of crisis, how hard is it for you to keep your com device on?" Toby's voice boomed into Walter's ear. "Second, we have some intel on the terrorist if you think it'll help you catch him."

"Shoot."

"Well, first thing's first, his name is Vladimir Mikhailov. He's wanted in seven different countries, including Russia. He definitely has quite the rap sheet. Anyway, turns out he's friends with Percy's buddies who tried to kill us several weeks ago. I can't tell if he's here because we busted his BFFs, if he's here because LA was on his hit list. Homeland's sent two guys to talk to Percy's break-out buddies and find out if they know anything. In the meantime, I found out he used to be a hired assassin in Russia; the Russian police almost caught him once. He then killed his entire family to keep them from reporting him. When he left Russia, for some reason, he upped his game and started blowing buildings up. Based on his profile, he's not going to blow himself up; if he wanted to kill himself, he would have done so the first time he blew up a building. He seems like the kind of terrorist who likes to watch his handiwork from the sidelines. So, if he's not in the building, he's somewhere safe with a trigger button." Toby explained thoroughly. "So, what do you want us to do?"

"Find a SWAT member and commandeer his thermal scope. Try to find Paige with it; if Vladimir Mikhailov is somewhere else, I want to be sure Paige is outside of the building before leaving. Did you tell Cabe? I heard he was trying to trail the terrorist."

"Yes, I already told Cabe. He was ordered to leave the building so he should be on his way down. That being said, I'm going to go and find me a sniper to swipe." As Toby's voice trailed away, Happy started talking.

"Walt, I checked Paige's apartment. She's not there. I opted not to ask Ralph if he knew where she was; we shouldn't worry him unnecessarily." Happy was disturbed about something.

"Good idea." Walter nodded, "Tell me, are there snipers at every angle of the building?"

"Yes." Happy replied.

"Okay, if Director Merrick is in the vicinity, ask him to order every SWAT member to look through their thermal scopes and see if they can find any heat signatures other than Cabe's or my own. But whatever they do, have the director tell them _not _to shoot." Walter slowly walked down the hallway and started looking inside office rooms to see if he could find Paige. He eventually ran into Cabe so they started to look for Paige together.

By the time they finished surveying the twentieth floor, Happy called again. Walter pressed the talk button and placed the phone to his ear. "Any luck?"

"There are no heat signatures in the building aside from yours and Cabe's. Director Merrick suggests the two of you make your way down ASAP. Bombs could detonate any second." Happy paused, "Walt, face it. Paige's not in the building. The thermal scopes would have found her if she was."

Walter turned his com device back on and ended the call with Happy. "Guys, listen very closely. Are all three of you present?"

"All three of us are here, Walt. What's up?" Happy replied as Walter and Cabe headed for the elevator.

"Toby said Vladimir Mikhailov was the kind of terrorist who enjoyed watching his handiwork. He wouldn't be stupid enough to watch it from ground level; there would risk involved. He would want to watch it happen from a safe distance; preferably high ground. If no one else is in the building, then both Paige and Vladimir are somewhere else; I have a strong feeling they're together. Sylvester, have you gotten that microchip analyzed?" Walter felt like he was on the verge of solving a case again; it felt good to be back on track.

"Yeah…, there was nothing on it. I told Director Merrick what I found, and he assumed the entire ordeal that happened on the thirtieth floor was only a ruse for a higher cause." Sylvester said, followed with a gulp.

"A ruse, huh?" Walter's mind started seeing all possible scenarios. "Toby, correct me if I'm wrong, but if Vladimir had _wanted _to strike the International Commerce Centre, why have a faulty microchip created? Homeland received intel that the International Commerce Centre was Vladimir's next target so why would Vladimir give that mentally unstable security guard a microchip, when the guard wouldn't have had the capability to know where to put the chip?"

Toby groaned. "Curtis, you idiot! Why didn't I see this before!?" There was shuffling in the background. "Come on Happy, we've gotta get over to the International Commerce Centre! Sly, you stay here and manage things in the van from a safe distance!" Walter heard the car door slide open. "Walt! We'll meet you over there!"

When Happy and Toby left, Walter said, "Sylvester, I need you to try and pinpoint Paige's cell. There's a good chance Vladimir was here this morning to see if his initial plan worked in order to distract us; it's possible Paige found him spying on us or something so he could have taken her hostage as collateral. Now that we have a wider scope, see if you can locate her cellphone around the International Commerce Centre. There's a good chance Vladimir might have kept her alive – especially since he hasn't blown this building up yet.

"Found it!" Sylvester exclaimed! "Walt! I know you hear this a lot, but you're a genius! I'm using your custom-built IPS you installed on my computer and in seconds, and in a few minutes, I can tell you which floor of the building it's on."

Before Walter and Cabe made it out of the building, Cabe pulled Walter back. "Mind telling me what's going on, kid?"

"We've been played the entire time." Walter replied. "Vladimir purposely gave that disoriented security guard an empty chip in order to lure us into his trap. His whole plan was to kill us – Scorpion – off. Why do you think he chose to create a ruse involving the mainframe of this building? To make sure Scorpion gets the case. He needs us for something, Cabe. Why else would he wait so long to bomb the building? If he knew we were all in there, he would have struck sooner than later. But he didn't." Walter and Cabe started walking again. "He knows we are smart enough to not move on pressure plates. What if he anticipated that _all _of us would get stuck? What if that was his way of getting us cornered to do something for him? What if that was why he stayed around? To make sure we were all apprehended by those hand-made mines? And when that didn't happen, he had to execute Plan B, taking one of our own as a hostage. That makes way more sense than anything else, don't you think?"

"You sell one hell of a convincing argument, Walter. Better explain things to the director before you go waltzing off to the International Commerce Centre – which, by the way, I'm a little confused how ICC is involved." Cabe scratched his head. "Care to explain?"

"Like I said, had Vladimir wanted to strike the International Commerce Centre, he would have done so already. That microchip was empty; meaning, he had no intention of striking the ICC. He would want to be somewhere safe in order to watch his handiwork, right? So why not hide out at the ICC? He hasn't bombed us yet; meaning, he still needs Scorpion for something. He's highly intelligent; he has thought every detail out; no doubt he's the brains of the operation. I bet you he took Paige because he knows Scorpion will come after her; he knew we would figure his plan out sooner or later, and so he'll use Paige as a ruse to corner us again. But this time…. This time we'll be ready." Walter stared at everybody who were preparing themselves to strike the terrorist down. "He will pay for messing with Scorpion like this." And Walter meant it too.

"What do you have in mind?" Cabe asked as they walked over to the director.

"Negotiation." Walter replied quickly and then started explaining his theory to Director Merrick.

**~ SCORPION ~**

Paige groaned as she woke up with a splitting headache. _Where am I? _She remembered talking to Walter, holding him and begging him to stay safe. She remembered walking away from him and heading for the other side of the mainframe in order to retrace her steps. She made it as far as the stairs when a hand covered her mouth. She had tried screaming and struggling against her captor, but he was too strong. The last thing remembered was a sharp object being smashed against her head before everything went black.

As she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by an uncomfortable darkness. Her wrists were tied to the back of a chair and her feet were bound together too. She tried worming her wrists out of the knots, but the more she struggled, the more burns the rope gave her. Her phone was sitting on a table to her right with its notification light blinking. She had to believe Walter would find her; he was good at figuring things out, and this was just another problem he needed to solve.

She tried scooching her chair over so she could get closer to her phone, but the chair wouldn't budge. She looked down; her captor had bolted it to the ground to keep her from moving. If Walter and the rest of the team didn't come in time, she was going to have to use her God-given brain and be a little creative in order to escape. But first thing was first, how to get out of her restraints?

To her dismay, a door creaked open, and a large, burly man with a very large gun strapped around him. He did _not _look very happy. "Good," he said as he approached her. "You're finally up."

Paige kept silent, but her eyes spoke fear in volumes.

"Don't worry, you'll talk soon enough." He said as he placed the gun down on a table and then picked up her phone. He started swiping his finger across the screen and then his menacing grin grew wider. He turned the phone around and revealed a picture of Ralph standing next to his telescope set. "This is your son, no?" Paige's bottom lip quivered, but she still remained silent. "Perhaps I will call someone pay him a visit and beat the information out him instead."

"Don't you dare!" Paige shouted with fire in her eyes. "I don't care who you are; I won't let you or anyone else touch my son!"

"No? Then are you ready to talk?"

"You don't even know where he is so why should I be worried?" Paige challenged.

"True, but like you, I know people; they can locate him for me. But it doesn't really matter at this point," the burly man said as he set her phone down and then approached her. "Even if you don't think I'll harm your son, I have other ways of persuasion." He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her off of the chair. She bit her lip but held back her pain as he dragged her across the room. She tried to pull her hair out of his grip, but he was far too strong. He slammed her downwards and then grabbed her hair again and forced her to look into a tub of ice cold water. "Say hello to your new friend."

Without warning, he shoved her head into the icy water. Her body convulsed and shook violently as she struggled to free herself from his grip. An eternity passed when he finally pulled her head out of the water. "Now tell me, who is the one they call the Scorpion?"

Paige inhaled deep breaths of air but wouldn't cave. Scorpion protected its own; therefore, she must protect them as well. When she would not answer, he grabbed her hair again and forced her head into the water once more. "You might as well get comfortable; unless you talk, this is only the beginning."

**~ SCORPION ~**

Walter and Cabe met Toby and Happy at the atrium of the International Commerce Centre; while Toby and Happy left to find the manager of the centre in order to tell him or her of what was going on, Cabe and Walter headed for the elevator, taking it to sixtieth floor – the level which Sylvester confirmed that Paige's cellphone was on. Homeland blocked all of the building's entrances, and the National Guard were waiting for their cue to infiltrate the building from the roof and the windows. They were instructed to kill if necessary. Walter knew Vladimir needed something from Scorpion so he planned to confront him and see what he wants. It's not the best plan, but it's the most efficient. It would also give him the chance to survey whichever room he was in and see if there were any bomb detonators within the vicinity; that would determine whether or not the National Guard should advance. During the ride to the International Commerce Centre, Cabe received intel from one of the other Homeland agents, detailing that one of Vladimir's friends caved and told them where Vladimir hid his blueprint plans. They had picked them up and found detailed information as to where all of the bombs were placed. Bomb Squad went back to the other building to find them and remove them from the vicinity.

"Are you sure you've got this Walter?" Cabe asked as they stood in the elevator and waited for it to land. "Dealing with crazies is one thing; taking on a terrorist is a completely different ball park."

"I'll be fine. Remember, you're only coming because your boss didn't think it was a good idea to place lives in the hands of a tech guy. You're only here as a reinforcement; unless I need you, you'll remain hidden." Walter ordered as the elevator beeped.

"Since when did you start bossing me around?" Cabe asked as they quickly walked down the hallway.

"Since someone decided to take one of our own as leverage. No one messes with my company and gets away with it." Walter muttered with narrowed eyebrows.

"Then don't let him." Cabe said as they approached the room where Sylvester had located Paige's phone. "By the way, Walter; who knows what he might be doing to Paige – I highly doubt he's treating her like a princess. Whatever he might be doing to her, you _must _keep your head in the game and focus on the mission. Got that?"

"Shouldn't be too hard." Walter replied as they stopped in front of the door. As Cage wedged the door open, painful screams filled the hallway. Before Cabe could stop him, Walter pushed his way into the room and found two guns – a UZI and a revolver – on the table next to Paige's phone. He then noticed a chair in the middle of the room; it was bolted to the ground. Cabe crept in behind him and tapped him on the shoulder, signaling him to take the smaller revolver. Walter had never shot a bullet before, but he would definitely consider doing it if it meant saving Paige and a building from falling down. Walter picked up the revolver and cocked it. He held it out in front of him and walked slowly inside the office. Then he heard the screams again, making him pick up his pace. Around the corner, Paige was strapped to a chair with cuts, bruises and burns all over her arms and face. He clenched his teeth as Vladimir yelled, "Who is Scorpion?!"

"Leave her be!" Walter shouted, catching Vladimir's attention before he could hurt her again.

"And who are you?" Vladimir asked, not intimidated by the gun in Walter's hands.

"I think you know." Walter replied as he slowly walked towards Paige. Walter noticed the swelling around Paige's face; it looks as though her head had been slammed into something multiple times. He then saw how wet her hair was and put two and two together. "You have me, so you can let her go."

"If you are the one they call Scorpion, then prove it." Vladimir challenged.

"I have terms too." Walter said as he tossed the gun; it was worthless anyway. "You destroy all of your detonators and release Paige." Walter slowly walked over to a computer and turned it on. "You have what you came to LA for so there's no need for extra casualties."

"Prove you are the Scorpion," Vladimir spat as he pulled out a home-made TASER gun and aimed it at Paige. "I made this at home; one TASE is strong enough to kill her so you better act quickly and prove to me you are the Scorpion."

Walter gulped as he turned to the computer; once it was booted up, he hacked into the maintenance manager system and forced all of the windows of the office to open. Then he fake-hacked into a site Sylvester had created with all of Vladimir's files on it; Walter had anticipated that Vladimir had wanted something that only members of Scorpion would be able to successfully pull off, and something told him it had everything to do with his files. "Your name is Vladimir Mikhailov. You're wanted in seven different countries, including Russia where you once called home. You murdered your family because they were going to report you to the Russian authorities. The Russians don't seem to care if you are hand-delivered to them in a casket; they only want you found and detained in some way, shape or form. How right am I so far?" Walter looked up from the computer. Vladimir kept his TASER gun on Paige as he walked around to see his files on the computer.

"How do I know those aren't fake documentations?" He asked, skeptically.

"Because," Walter first looked at Paige and then glanced back at Vladimir. "Why would I risk everything on falsified records? You want something from me, and you have something I want back."

Suddenly Happy's voice boomed inside his ear. "I know you can't say anything, Walt, but Bomb Squad had finally finished removing all of the bombs. They have all been deactivated so hurry things up so Homeland and National Guard can take things over."

Walter closed his eyes for a second; he was grateful that there was one less thing he had to worry about. "If I do what you want me to do, will you let us go?"

He shrugged. "If you erase me from every single server, I'll let her go." The emphasis on "her" was not unnoticed by Walter.

"Deal." Walter nodded as he started clearing Vladimir's fake accounts. In seconds, he said, "the moment I press ENTER, you'll cease to exist."

"We'll see about that." Vladimir said as he pressed the TASER gun against Paige's temple.

"I won't press ENTER unless you remove your TASER gun away from Paige.

"Fine. I'll do it myself." Vladimir pushed Walter out of the way, sending him forward towards Paige.

He had anticipated Vladimir's moves so he instructed Paige to shut her eyes closed. She didn't question him as he started cutting the ropes around her wrists and legs with the pair of scissors he had swiped from the desk when Vladimir pushed him aside. Walter heard the clacking sound of a keyboard key and then closed his own eyes as the building's sprinkler system went off.

"What the….?" Vladimir looked upwards and felt the water fall down everywhere. When the water dripped into his eyes, he started screaming in pain.

Walter pushed himself upward and knocked the TASER gun out of Vladimir's hands and shouted, "NOW!"

In seconds, Cabe and troops of the National Guard as well as Homeland Security infiltrated the room from all directions. Vladimir was apprehended within minutes as Cabe approached Walter and Paige.

"Let the guys with the badges take care of the rest," Cabe patted Walter's shoulder. "Good work, O'Brien. Now get her to a hospital."

Walter nodded and then continued looking down. "Keep your eyes closed, Paige." Walter instructed as he guided her out of the room. By the time they reached the elevator, they were both soaked to the bone, but they were okay. That was all that mattered to Walter anyway. Paige was going to be okay. She might be mentally scarred for a while, but at least she would be safe again.

**~ SCORPION ~**

Paige had passed out and collapsed in the elevator from exhaustion; to be more efficient, Walter picked her up into his arms and carried her outside where hundreds of officers as well as the rest of the team were waiting for them. Some of the officers clapped as Happy, Toby and Sylvester smiled, grateful that the pair was all right. Walter hated the idea of handing Paige over to the paramedics, but he knew they would be able to help her on the way to the hospital. While Toby, Happy and Sylvester left to pick up Ralph, Walter rode with Paige to the hospital in the ambulance.

As she was taken in, Walter sat in the waiting room impatiently. As many injuries as she had, they weren't life threatening. Then again, he wasn't a doctor. Medicine was out of the realm of expertise. About half an hour after his arrival, the rest of the team walked into the waiting room. Ralph ran over to him and sat next to him as Sylvester sat down in the chair to his right. Toby leaned against the wall, and Happy stood with her arms folded against her chest. They all waited for another hour before the doctor came in to talk to them.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Colson. Are you all here for Ms. Dineen?" A young Indian woman held a clipboard against her chest and spoke with a calm voice.

"Yes." Walter replied. "Will she be all right?"

Dr. Colson nodded. "In time, she will be. Her physical condition was manageable; she had a total thirty-two stitches from all of the cuts she received, but physically, she will be all right. Mentally, however, might be a different story. It may take more time for her to adjust to the fact that she had a near-death experience. She's awake right now and can only see two at a time because she'll need her rest."

"Can a few of us pop in, say hi and then leave before the other two volunteer as tribute to be with her?" Toby asked Dr. Colson as he jammed his hands into his pockets.

"That will be all right." Dr. Colson smiled. "She's in Room 215." Without another word, Dr. Colson left to speak with other family members of other patients.

"All right, my vote's in for Ralph and Walter." Toby said. "What does everyone else think?"

"I second that," Happy nodded as Sylvester also agreed. Cabe patted Walter's shoulder and then ruffled Ralph's hair.

"The two of you take good care of her; I've got paperwork to do at the office so I'm only going to pop in and bid her a good recovery. I'll see if I can pop by later tonight…. I can flash my badge and make it official if need be. Hospitals really hate lawsuits." Cabe smirked. Toby snickered and thought the agent had a really good point. "Come on, you geniuses. Shouldn't keep an injured woman waiting."

All of them made their way to Paige's hospital room. Ralph held Walter's hand as they walked up to Paige's side and sat down on the chairs next to her. Cabe gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and told her to get better before leaving to head back to Homeland HQ. Sylvester gave her a gentle hug, causing her to smile. Toby squeezed her hand and patted her shoulder, and Happy did the same as well.

"You know," Toby batted his eyes towards Happy, "Imitation is the highest form of flattery, Happy."

"Stuff it, Doc." Happy rolled her eyes and then turned to Paige. "Get better. The team's not the same without you."

"Thanks," Paige gently squeezed Happy's hand.

"We'll be back sometime later..." Sylvester smiled as he left with Happy and Toby.

"Okay. See you," Paige waved and then turned to see Ralph. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hi Mom." He laid his head on top of the bed and sighed.

"Hey, I'm okay, Ralph. Just a little sore. I'll be good as new tomorrow; you'll see." Paige ruffled his hair and then patted the side of her bed. "Come up here, and you can see for yourself."

Ralph's eyes lifted. "Are you sure, Mom?"

"Positive." Paige replied with a smile. Ralph nodded and then walked around to the other side of the bed before climbing onto it. He was careful not to hit any of the wires or tubes connected to Paige and then lay his head against her shoulder. Her painful expression did not go unnoticed by Walter as Paige wrapped her arm around her son. He could tell she was putting on a strong front for the boy. "See? I'm fine." Paige leaned down and kissed the top of Ralph's head before leaning back against the pillows. Her eyes redirected themselves over to Walter. "Hey."

"Hey," he smiled and then covered her hand with his.

Her eyes lit up. "Could it be that Walter O'Brien is actually showing signs of emotion?"

"I…uh…I observed Happy and Toby earlier. It's what they did before they left." Walter confessed. In truth, he was merely imitating his friends' actions since he really wasn't great with emotional connections. Part of him wished it was natural, but the other part didn't know what he wanted. "Did Dr. Colson say when you'd be able to go home?"

"They want to monitor me for at least another day and possibly another night, but if everything goes well, I should be released by Monday." Paige replied as she leaned her head against Ralph's. The boy was already asleep. Paige looked as though she could fall asleep at any moment.

"You're tired. You should go to sleep." Walter stated as she twisted her fingers around his. "Sleep will optimize your chances of a faster recovery."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Paige muttered as she closed her eyes. It wasn't long before both mother and son were fast asleep. Walter had every intention to scoot back and let them sleep peacefully, but something told him not to let go of her hand. So he didn't. And eventually, he fell asleep himself with his cheek pressed against their conjoined hands, not noticing the smiling nurse when she came in to check on Paige's charts.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**WriterFreak001: **

_So yeah, that is the updated version of chapter 11. Very different. I definitely like this outcome better. Some of you might think I'm cruel for having Paige go through that, but you know what I think? Scorpion is a team that handles tough cases; I wouldn't be surprised if they either handle a Black Ops case or something more drastic. It's bound to happen eventually. _

_Anyway…. What did you think about this version instead? _

_OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS! I had finished watching "Dominoes," and my mind is blown in several directions! Such an amazing episode, and I'm torn that it is the mid-season finale. Let me know what you thought about "Dominoes" as well! :D_


	12. Chapter 12

**WriterFreak001: **

**Three days later, I still cannot get over that midseason finale! O_O It was so intense and magical! I have re-watched it every day since Monday and will continue to do so until January 5****th**** is here! XD**

**GUESS WHAT?! I made a Scorpion Twitter account. Just type in WF001Scorpion, and the account should pop up! :) Please follow me! (This time, I'll be able to follow you too! :))**

**A note to anybody who has read my BATB fanfictions: **I am in the process of re-reading _Defying the Stars_. It was a lot longer than I anticipated so it will be at least a week or so until the next update for DTS. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to me via PM.

**Thanks!**

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated K+ for brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 12**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

Two weeks had passed since Paige was released from the hospital, and Walter could tell that the last mission she had been on had affected her greatly. Until her psychiatrist cleared her to return to the field, she was not to attend any of the missions. Toby had volunteered to psychoanalyze her, but Cabe suggested for Paige to see someone who had an impersonal relationship with her - someone like the last woman they had all had to see after the painting fiasco. Walter figured it was the best tactic as well. Even though Toby would most likely clear Paige after a day (and even though Walter inwardly wished Paige could be cleared adequately fast), he also wanted Paige to seek the help she needed so when the time came for her to be reinstated, she would be at her optimal level. He was conflicted. Cabe had to, in a way, fill in for Paige since he was better at handling the emotional side of the job, and, at times, Megan helped too – only if the job was simple and had nothing to do with terrorists or real threats.

With Paige out of commission, going on missions felt off for Walter. He was used to her company, and even though he could communicate better with Toby, Happy and Sylvester, talking with Paige in the van was refreshing. She had a way of breaking him out of his constant thinking; her presence alone was enough to drag him out of the rabbit hole most times. Not always, but most.

Luckily, her absence on the missions did not equate to being absent from the Cyclone. She still brought Ralph over every morning before he went to school. Once, the three of them went out for ice cream after Ralph was done with his lessons for the day. Unlike the last time, Drew didn't intervene during their outing, but he did make his presence at the Cyclone a few times. Luckily, Paige and Ralph weren't present whenever he arrived; there was enough stress on Paige from her last mission; Walter didn't want Drew's presence to regress all of the progress Paige had made in therapy.

Walter still wasn't sure how he felt about Drew's presence; it was something he had to put aside and analyze later – once he collected more data on the man. So far, all of Drew's spontaneous appearances wasn't doing him any favors. If Cabe or Toby hadn't been there to _kindly _escort Ralph's father out of the Cyclone, Walter didn't know how he would have reacted around him. Most of the time, when he _did _have feelings towards something, they were usually feelings of anger and were very unstable – out of control (Like the time he rammed into that young hacker when the governor's daughter was dying or when, years ago, he had a knack for drag racing). Taking on intense cases and throwing crockery usually helped him meditate, but every once in a while, his anger was executed in a destructive way – usually towards the criminals his team takes down.

But that did not excuse Drew from being a potential victim to Walter's anger; that was why Walter figured it was best for other members of the team to handle Drew's drop-ins in order to avoid doing something he would regret later. Much, much later. After the second drop-in, Cabe suggested that it was best to keep Drew's consistent pestering a secret from Paige until she was better, but when Walter remembered making a promise to tell Paige _everything _when things were about Drew, the 197 IQ Genius advised against it. In fact, he was on his way to pick Paige up from Dr. Cassandra Davis's office and tell her himself.

When he arrived at the psychiatrist's office, he sat down in the waiting room and waited for Paige to finish with her session. It was a good thing the day was going slow and that there weren't any cases, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to pick her up. She usually drove herself to her appointments, but Cabe had offered to drop her off on his way to Homeland, and knowing Paige, Walter knew she couldn't refuse. Toby assumed that Cabe offering to drop Paige off to the clinic was his way of wanting to discreetly check up on her and see how she was doing. Walter, however, had to wonder if it was about something else. He would have to sit down and analyze it later.

After staring at the gaudy wall with poorly tessellated rhombuses painted over the yellow plaster, Walter forced himself to look away from it. Otherwise, he would find himself walking up there with a Sharpie Marker in order to correct the embarrassing misrepresentation of argyle pattern. He closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair before spotting a TIME magazine featuring Google and its two-factor authentication method that was laying on the table in front of him.

With nothing better to do (meaning, doing _anything _to keep him from staring at that atrocious wall), Walter leaned forward, picked up the magazine and started thumbing through the pages. He quickly read through the four page article discussing the ins and outs of the two-factor authentication method that Google had somewhat recently adopted, and then rolled his eyes as he tossed it back onto the coffee table. "Idiots," he muttered. "As if _that _really protects an account."

He could hack into someone's Google account in milliseconds; two-factor authentication or no two-factor authentication. And people actually trusted those sorts of things…. The only firewall or security software Walter trusted were the ones programmed by himself. He'd like to see Google try and crack his codes one day; he doubted that the smartest technician onsite could successfully hack into any program created by Walter. Collins came close, once, dare Walter to ever admit it, but that was a very long time ago. Walter's programming had very much improved since then.

He started staring at the pattern on the wall again and sighed. "Okay, this is just depressing." He stood up, walked over to the front desk and waited for the assistant to finish her conversation on the phone before calling for her attention. "Excuse me?"

"May I help you?" The assistant smiled and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"I hope so," Walter nodded and then stepped back towards the yellow wall. "I couldn't help but notice the pattern along the wall, and –"

"Oh, you like the diamonds too?" Her voice was squeaky and annoying. Walter made note to make the conversation as brief as possible.

"No. Actually, diamonds – in the geometric sense – do not exist. These horribly painted shapes," he moved his hands along the wall, oblivious of the visitors watching him, "are called rhombuses, and this pattern – at least, the _true _representation – is called argyle. May I suggest for you to contact the owner and tell them to have someone paint over the pattern; it is quite distracting. Argyle is what's known as a type of tangram, and the pattern is supposed to tessellate. The vertices don't properly align, the angles are irregular and the lines are completely crooked. Clearly, someone doesn't know how to use a ruler." Walter folded his arms in front of his chest and pressed his lips together as the assistant stared blankly at him. "Basically," he pointed back towards the wall, "the pattern on the wall is absolutely atrocious."

The assistant blinked once. Then twice. "Is there…," she cleared her throat, "anything else I can do for you?"

"No. That would be all." Walter replied and then turned around to find Paige standing behind him with her foot tapping against the tiled floor. "Hi."

"Hey," she raised an eyebrow. "Care to tell me what that was all about?"

"I saw a problem so I decided to offer a solution." Walter shrugged and jammed his hands into his pockets.

"Sometimes, Walter," Paige sighed, "it's best to keep your opinions to yourself. Remember, not many people think like you do, Walter. If you read the sign printed next to the wall, you would have realized that the wall was painted by students from a disability school." Paige casually touched his arm and pulled him over towards the sign he obviously missed.

He looked at the wall again and accounted for the disabled artists. He pressed his lips to a fine line and thought about the times bullies at school had made fun of his sister's artwork. Walter never had an appreciation for art, but he appreciated the effort his sister had put into her drawings; she had worked on them for days and nights even when she was in pain. Her effort and persistence is what gave the artwork value. Not the actual representation. He factored in that scenario into the present one and realized his error.

He turned to the assistant and said, "While I'm not sorry that I said the pattern was atrocious – because it is, I do admire the hard work and persistence of the disabled students who took the time to come here and attempted to paint an argyle pattern successfully."

As he turned to walk away, Paige leaned over the counter. What she said to the assistant did not go unnoticed. "I'm sorry about that; Walter can be a little…abrasive at times, but trust me, his apology was sincere."

Walter felt Paige wrap her arm around his as they walked out of the facility and headed to her car. When they were both seated inside her Chevy with seatbelts buckled, Walter kept the vehicle in park. "Did you really think my apology was sincere?"

Paige shrugged. "Yes and no."

"I'm going to need a more in-depth answer than that." Walter replied, needing the information for future analysis.

"The reason I say 'yes' is because you are a very forthright person. You speak your mind candidly, and although you tend to find ways around apologizing by stating what you're _not _sorry for and then addressing what you appreciate, I know your apologies are sincere because you always state facts. I have yet to come across you telling someone a lie. You might withhold information – as you have done in the past before, but your brain is hardwired to state things that are factual to you. So if you say you're sorry, I know you are sorry because you say you are. Does that make sense?" Paige's left eyebrow furrowed upwards as she bit her bottom lip.

"Oddly," Walter nodded, "it does. Why would you say 'no' then?"

"This might be a little harder to explain," Paige chuckled. She flipped her hair back and then mulled over her next train of thoughts. "While your apology is sincere according to your standards, Walter, it doesn't always seem as sincere when you try to communicate your apology. That is most definitely because you have a hard time understanding emotion, and how certain things you say may affect people negatively. The way you communicate your apology needs improvement – there are a lot of sensitive people in the world, Walter; what may seem like a sincere apology to you may come across as arrogant or condescending to others. Like I said," she smiled and squeezed his hand, "the delivery needs work. But, for the most part, I'd say you're improving since the first time I met you."

Walter nodded. "Okay." He was determined to process everything she said later when he was by himself. The way she answered his question was in the form of a pros and cons list; he planned on re-writing Paige's answers into list form for better analysis.

"Before we go back to the garage, can we stop by the park?" Paige asked as she pulled her hair up.

"The park is on the way so I do not see how that could be a problem." Walter replied with a simple nod as he merged onto the highway.

"Thanks, Walter."

**~ SCORPION ~**

By the time they arrived at the park, it was 2 PM – an hour before they would have to leave and pick up Ralph from school. Walter and Paige walked over to the bench at which they sat the last time they had visited the park and sat down. Walter stared towards the grove of trees in front of them, calculating the curvatures of the leaves as Paige leaned her head against his shoulder. She had been doing that a lot more lately. Walter was getting used to it and wasn't as rigid to her touch anymore. He still stiffened when others rushed up to hug him, but when he was with Paige, things were starting to feel more natural (or at least semi-natural).

Over the past several weeks, he had noticed that she often expressed her emotions to him by giving him a gentle touch on the arm or caressing his hand; at one time, he made it a personal endeavor to observe Paige and note how tactile she was with the other members of _Scorpion_. She used her hands less when she was around Toby and Happy, but she sometimes patted Cabe on the shoulder as he often reciprocated the gesture during their cases, or Paige would give Sylvester a hug (which was a very understandable gesture considering Sylvester's overabundance of emotional quotient). For the most part, aside from Walter, Paige often used her hands to communicate with Ralph. She would ruffle his hair or hold his hand. She'd bend down and hug him ever so gently, and often kissed the boy's forehead or cheek before dropping him off at school. As far as he knew, Paige had only kissed _his _cheek once too. He added his observations to his accumulating pros and cons list in regards to his connection with Paige. There were an abundant amount of pros and very few cons, in fact, there was only one con he could remember ever writing down: Drew.

"The first time," Paige suddenly said, breaking Walter from his thoughts, "you came over to my apartment and played video games with Ralph, you asked him if he ever paused and replayed his dreams."

He smiled at the memory. Strong prefrontal cortex, he noted to himself; he would add that small bit of information to her pros list when he got home. "I remember."

"Have you been able to pause them and then get rid of them completely?" Paige asked, causing him to look at her. He recognized a sense of discomfort and fear in her eyes – he had had the same expression after he had seen the news when the US military used his program to kill civilians. It took him months to process and compartmentalize it. That was the main reason for his drag racing days. Drag racing was meditative – it helped him forget the memories he did not want to remember.

"No. Not completely." He shook his head. "I sometimes did hazardous things to temporarily displace them, but I've never been able to successfully repress them; they always surface back, unfortunately."

"Dr. Davis doesn't think I'll be reinstated any time soon." Paige sighed. "I don't have problems talking about what happened to me. She could ask me to tell her everything I remember that day, and I'd be able to tell her without having a panic attack. But, every time she brings in a bowl of ice water or a set of pocket knives or even lights a match, I feel like I'm back there…trapped with no way out. It's strange, really." Paige closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Not necessarily," Walter replied, causing her to look at him. He swivel a little in order to face her so he could adequately clarify her confusion. "The brain is like a mini-factory with separate functioning departments. You have the cerebral cortex, which plays a key role in perceptual awareness, thought, memory, attention, language and consciousness. The cerebral cortex is a composition of four lobes which cover both hemispheres of the brain. There is the frontal lobe – a section of the brain that controls conscious thought and higher-mental functions like making decisions – especially in the prefrontal lobe, an area of the brain that is key to processing short-term and long-term memories. These memories are not task-oriented. That is why you are able to talk about what happened and still be fine. You see that you are in a safe environment and know nothing can happen to you as you talk about it.

"There is also the parietal lobe and the temporal lobe. The parietal lobe integrates sensory data from the various senses and helps with spatial sense as well as navigation. The temporal lobe – which predominantly handles information gathered by smell and sound – allows human beings to process semantics in both speech and vision. The temporal lobe plays a key role in long-term memory; it is the reason we are able to process complex stimuli.

"Then there's the occipital lobe – the area of the brain which is involved with the sense of sight." Walter stopped when he noticed the blank look on Paige's face. "Basically, he continued, "different areas of the brain respond through different stimuli. What you remember the most is the experience of the event; you remember what your senses have collected based on what you saw when you were there. Whenever you see the bowl of ice water, your mind has been conditioned to experience that event again; the same concept applies to the pocket knives and the fire. You saw all of those things – those weapons of sort – before anything had been done to you. So that is why you react when stimulated by representations, but you do not react when stimulated by a question."

Paige frowned, "So every time I see those things, I'll have a panic attack?"

Walter shook his head gently. "Maybe for a while, but PTSD can be overcome through a variety of methods – one of which involves a psychiatrist. Toby would be a better source than me, but it is possible to redirect – in a sense – what you remember when you see those objects." Walter replied enthusiastically. It would certainly be a challenging experiment, but perhaps it would be worth the effort. "When pets are trained, they are conditioned to associate good behavior with rewards and bad behavior with punishment. Babies, I'm sure you already know this, learn in the same manner. The reason they don't touch a stove after touching it once is because the first time was unfavorable. What would you say if we decided to conduct experiments in order to try to reroute your sensory memory? For example, we might be able to train your mind to think of something positive – like flowers – whenever you look into a bowl of ice water. It may be a slow process, and there's no guarantee it would work, but the outcome seems plausible."

Paige didn't answer right away; Walter didn't expect her to either. "I guess it's worth a try."

"Okay," Walter nodded, "When we return to the Cyclone, I could discuss it further with Toby and see what he thinks. He's always excited for a new challenge."

"I think I could say the same thing about _all _of you guys." Paige smiled, pulled her knees inward until she was sitting on them and then she leaned over to whisper a 'thank you' into his ear. He felt her lips brush against his cartilage. His body started to grow rigid from her touch again. Her palm caressed his cheek as the tips of her fingers weaved into his curly hair. She planted a quick kiss against his cheekbone and then resumed her original position where she was sitting next to him with her temple pressing against his shoulder.

He was still very rigid from her unexpected romantic endeavor.

If Toby could see him now, this moment would be the highlight of the behaviorist's day. Walter eventually composed himself; he had a lot to consider after that moment. Unlike the last time Paige had pecked him on the cheek, this one seemed more…intimate. His body had an unexpected (and very unfamiliar) reaction to her kiss. This reaction was physically pleasant, but it was another thing he had to set aside and analyze later.

A moment of silence passed between them before Walter decided it was time to tell her about Drew. "Cabe thought it would be best to keep this from you," he caught her attention as she looked at him, "but since I promised you I would disclose all things regarding Drew, I am disobeying his wishes." Walter paused briefly before continuing. "Three times while you and Ralph were away, Drew dropped by the Cyclone. He insisted to see Ralph and talk to you. Cabe and Toby – at different times – kindly showed him to the door. The last time he stopped by was yesterday."

Paige closed her eyes and sighed. "He's relentless."

"Do you want something done about it?" Walter half-expected her answer to be yes.

"Not at this point." Paige shook her head. "I told him I would call him and let him see Ralph for an afternoon, so it's my fault he's becoming more persistent. I've been avoiding his phone calls to my cellphone for the past two weeks – not really in the mood to talk to him. But first," Paige looked at her watch. Walter looked at his phone too. 2:35 pm. "I want to know what Cabe found out about him."

Walter started to get up, but Paige pulled him back down by gripping his hand and gently yanking on it. "Not so fast," Paige laughed, "There's still some time left until we have to pick up Ralph." Walter plopped back down onto the bench and found Paige wrapping her arms around his torso, where her head pressed against his side. At first, he was a little rigid from her sudden embrace (if that was what it was even called), but he quickly loosened up and relaxed in her arms. And for the first time, he was able to return her embrace without wondering _where_ to place his hands in the process.

It seemed as though things were starting to feel somewhat natural for Walter the more Paige held onto him, and he had to wonder if normalcy was something he should pursue.

Or continue to keep it at a safe distance (he would have to create a pros and cons list later in order to answer such a question effectively).

But so far, the obvious pros supporting normalcy were very appealing; Walter smiled at the thought as he was caught staring at Paige.

"What?" She asked as she looked up at him and licked her lips.

"Nothing," he shook his head as he saw her lips curl to a smile.

"Okay," she chuckled softly. He committed her melodious laugh to memory. "If you say so."

If only she knew how contrary his reply was to what was going through his mind. 'Nothing' was an inadequate answer, but it was the best response he could give her until he had time to completely process everything.

At that moment, when he had naturally wrapped his arms around her form, he thought he could see everything so clearly – something he had never been able to see before. And he had to wonder…if these brief moments of perfect clarity were because he had finally found the perfect constant he had been waiting for.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I really had fun writing this chapter! :) Especially the about the horrible wall! XD By the way, anything that pertains to anatomy or medicine or practically EVERYTHING intelligent is thoroughly researched before included. However, the internet isn't always the best source of information so if the information I received about the brain is wrong, then by all means, PM me and let me know! _

_Otherwise, what did you think of this chapter? _


	13. Chapter 13

**WriterFreak001: **

**I greatly enjoyed writing last chapter and am anxious to see what my fingers bring to the story for this one! :) Is it Jan. 5 yet? LOL **

**Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: WF001Scorpion. I know there is a strong **_**Scorpion **_**presence on Tumblr, but I am not sure about Twitter. It would be nice to have more than 6 followers on Twitter because **_**thaaaat's **_**depressing on my end. ^_^;**

**I changed the rating to T recently. Figured it would be best to change it due to violent scenes (refer to chap. 11).**

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><p><strong>NOTE: The 'italics' quotes in this chapter were taken, verbatim, from <em>Scorpion <em>1x10 "Talismans."**

**Remember that the Drew within this FANFICTION, is different than the Drew on screen. I started planning this story BEFORE Drew's character developed into a seemingly "nice" guy.**

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 13**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

Walter walked into Ralph's school with Paige and followed her as she led him to Ralph's classroom. Walter knew Ralph wouldn't be outside playing with the other children; if he was outside during the recess period, he was most likely analyzing the velocity and acceleration of the swings as other children swung on them. Or, he would collect various rocks and organize them by type. But today, as usual, the boy was in his classroom writing equations on the chalkboard. Last time, Ralph was working on simple factorials; this time he was solving calculus derivatives. Occasionally, Ralph would be sitting at his desk, working on riddles Walter had given him earlier in the mornings when he and Paige would drop by the Cyclone on their way to Ralph's school.

Walter was impressed at how fast Ralph was working and was determined – with Paige's approval, of course – to test the boy's IQ. He stood next to Ralph as he heard Paige walk over to one of the desks to sit down. When the boy finished solving for the first derivative, he turned to Walter and handed him the chalk.

"Solve for the second." Ralph said as Walter took the chalk and began finishing the equation Ralph had started to solve. While Ralph's solving process for the first derivative was more elaborated, Walter was able to solve for the second derivative in only two steps. He did most of the mathematics inside his head and only wrote down what needed to be written. When he was Ralph's age, he, too, had to write expanded steps in order to visibly see his solving process; however, over the years, he had learned how to see the process inside his mind. Ralph, one day, will learn that technique too.

As Walter stepped back and stood next to Ralph, both of them marveled at each other's work. "In due time, Ralph," Walter placed his palm on top of the boy's head, "you'll be able to solve mathematical problems like calculus derivatives without needing to write down most of the steps."

"Who knows, Ralph," Paige smiled as she stood up and bent down to give her son a hug, "You might even be a better mathematician than Sylvester." She placed a quick kiss on Ralph's forehead and then rose to her feet, before taking Ralph's hand in hers.

Once they were inside the Chevy, Ralph handed his mother a folded piece of paper. "What's this, Ralph?" she asked as she unfolded it.

"It was a writing assignment." Ralph said as he buckled himself into his seat. "My teacher thought I should share it with you."

As Walter pulled out of the parking lot, Paige was silent while she read Ralph's assignment. From the corner of his eye, Walter noticed how Paige's fingers touched her lips. A tear fell from her eye, but she quickly wiped it and then turned around to hand the assignment back to Ralph. "It's beautiful, honey."

As Ralph folded the assignment back up, he placed it back into his backpack and leaned back into his chair. Paige swiveled back around and closed her eyes. The tears falling down her cheeks did not go unnoticed, but Walter didn't say anything about it. He figured there was a reason why she was being discreet so he didn't want to bring attention to it.

When they arrived back at the Cyclone, Ralph went straight to the Proton Arnold game Walter had purchased recently and began trying to beat his last high score. Walter noticed Happy was missing, Sylvester was on his computer, and Toby was at his desk, reading two different books at the same time.

"Where's Happy?" Walter asked as he walked over to Toby. Paige went over to the kitchen to fix Ralph a small snack.

"I think she said something about heading to a mechanic shop for some materials." Toby shrugged. "I offered to go with her, but she said she didn't need a babysitter so I backed off and let her be." Toby placed his books down on his desk and leaned back into his chair. "So, you usually don't walk over here unless you need something. Trouble in paradise?" Toby snickered as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and propped his feet upon his desk.

Ignoring Toby's question, Walter went straight to business. "Paige is struggling with a form of PTSD where traumatic memories surface whenever she sees certain objects; however, she doesn't seem to have a problem talking about what happened to her." Walter paused when he heard Paige call for Ralph to come to the kitchen. After hearing the boy meet his mother in the kitchen, Walter continued. "Is there a way to redirect the sensory data within her brain so that she does not have panic attacks when she sees these objects?"

Walter was pretty sure it could be done, but psychoanalysis was not part of his expertise.

"You mean like conditioning her?" Toby raised an eyebrow. Walter nodded. "Well, her traumatic experience was shocking enough to scare the living shits out of her every time she sees a bowl of icy water, knives or fire…."

"I never told you what those objects were…."

Toby cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. "Someone may have," he coughed, "hacked into Paige's records out of deep concern and sympathy." Toby replied quickly before continuing what he originally was going to say. "Anyway, since her fear had conditioned her to remember when she was almost killed by that psycho terrorist, then altering the effect is plausible and highly intriguing. However, if you want it to work, Walter, these pleasant experiences must be powerful enough to reverse the effect. Fear is a messed up thing, man. You're lucky you don't experience it as well as other people. Most shrinks occasionally force their patients to look at these objects as a way to train them not to think of those traumatic experiences anymore. It is also a risky method to help patients disclose information if they are unwilling to discuss it so openly." Toby stood up and stretched. "Basically, what you're asking for is a step up. Not only do you want Paige to be able to look at these objects and not connect them to the terrorist, but you also want to include a failsafe as well by having her think of happy thoughts whenever she sees these things."

"What are the chances Paige's psychiatrist will let us test this theory?" Walter asked as he jammed his hands into his pocket.

Toby frowned. "Slim to none. That woman was a hard ass."

Walter remembered his therapy session with Dr. Cassandra Davis and believed "hard ass" was an adequate phrase to describe such a coarse woman. "She was very…abrasive."

"If you wanna test this theory out," Toby put his hat on his head, "then it has to be under the radar – not even Cabe should know about it. Also, you seem to be the closest to Paige so I suggest conducting some research and find out what makes her the happiest. And it can't be something as simple as flowers; it has be something big enough to wipe away her fears." Toby walked around his desk and slipped on his shoes. "Think of it this way; Paige is a computer with a few Trojan viruses tainting her system; you're the tech guy. You've gotta create an antivirus strong enough to suck those suckers dry so that they don't become a problem anymore. But you have to remember that Paige's hard drive – her mind – is more sensitive than yours so…tread gently."

Walter understood Toby's analogy completely. This experiment could definitely be compared to an antivirus. Walter saw Paige's trauma as a problem he needed to fix, and with Toby's help, he was determined to quarantine Paige's PTSD in order to have her working with the team again.

**~ SCORPION ~**

A few hours later, while Toby and Ralph were playing on his Xbox Live, Happy had returned from her errands and was back to working on her latest project. Sylvester began cleaning the area around his desk again, and Walter was trying to earn Cabe Jr.'s trust as Paige supervised. He honestly didn't see the logic in treating the mouse as a pet, but Paige insisted it was important if he ever intended on getting any work done in the future. Like always, he took her advice into consideration and treated it as experiments in order to observe the outcomes. If Paige's suggestion pays off, then the experiment was successful. If it didn't, he would subject himself to perform another trial from a different angle.

As Paige placed Cabe Jr. back into his cage, his cellphone started ringing. When he pulled it out of his pocket and saw that the LAPD was calling, he answered it quickly, wondering if it was a case. However, he didn't expect to hear his sister's voice on the other line. When the call ended, he sighed and placed the phone back into his pocket.

"Is everything okay?" Paige asked him as he grabbed his jacket.

"Can I borrow your car?" He deflected. "Mine keeps breaking down."

"Sure," Paige nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"

Remembering how well Paige and Megan conversed the last time he brought Paige with him to visit her, he realized Paige's presence would be most beneficial – especially if he needed someone to connect with his sister on a more emotional level than he ever could. "Yes. As a matter of fact, there is." Walter replied. As Paige walked over to the couch and grabbed her purse, he added, "I'll explain in the car."

As they left the Cyclone, Paige asked the rest of the team to watch Ralph while they were gone and notified them that she and Walter would be back later. Once they were in the car, Walter sped off towards the LAPD precinct as he explained to Paige that his sister was booked earlier in the morning. When they arrived at the precinct, Walter walked up to the front lobby desk to bail Megan out as Paige waited for him to finish. Walter was grateful that the bail money wasn't set extensively high but bailing his sister out _did _take a great sum out of his spending budget. Once everything was set, another officer led Walter and Paige towards the drunk tank.

"_You should have seen the handful we were dealing with at the scene, like open container violation, drunk and disorderly, resisting arrest_..." The officer said as they headed down a hallway.

"_R-resisting arrest_?" Walter inquired.

"_Yep_," the officer nodded, "_We're not pressing charges because of the unique circumstances, but next time, we don't go easy_."

"_Okay_," Walter replied as he saw his sister slumping against the wall of the drunk tank.

"_Thank you_," Paige added as the officer walked away.

"_What up, little bro?!_" Megan smiled as Walter frowned at her. "What up, Paige?"

As the officer returned with a key, he unlocked the pen, allowing Walter to walk inside and help his sister out of the tank. When they left the precinct and were on their way to Paige's car, Walter started chastising his sister. "_Resisting arrest, huh_?"

"_I'm half crippled_," Megan replied in defense, "_I fell into the cop as he was lifting me out of the sand. That's resisting gravity_."

"_Oh, that's not funny_," Walter replied as Paige giggled at his sister's response. He then looked at her, wondering why she was laughing.

"What?" Paige smiled, "I thought it was."

Walter rested his case and changed the subject. "Come on. Let's get you back to the hospital."

"_Don't take me back yet_," Megan begged. "_I barely get to see you_."

"_Megan_," Walter turned to look at his sister, "_I visit every Friday_."

"_Walter_," Megan frowned, "_The docs said in less than a year I won't be able to walk. My respiratory system will soon follow_."

"_Nothing is certain. MS is fickle_." Walter replied quickly. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. Megan. Or, himself. He would have to put his internal inquiry away and process it later.

"_Life is fickle._" Megan exclaimed. "_But I want to live while I still can. Come on, let me spend the day with you._"

"_No_." Walter shook his head.

Paige placed a hand on Walter's shoulder, and he was sure that her simple gesture did not go unnoticed by his sister. "A word, please?"

"Okay." Walter nodded as he and Paige walked over to the side and stood behind a large pillar, leaving Megan to lean against a police cruiser.

"Your sister has a point, Walter." Paige muttered as she folded her arms across her chest. "She shouldn't have to live the rest of her life cooped in a hospital."

"But the hospital she's staying at can provide the most optimal care for her," Walter said, flinging his arms outward. "The hospital is the best environment for her to receive continuous care – something I can't always provide for her."

"I know!" Paige exclaimed, swiftly cupping his cheeks with her palms. He stiffened under her sudden touch. "I know," she repeated in a softer tone. "For _you_, Walter, a hospital may seem like the best solution for her. I get it. I totally get it." Paige smiled. "But you need to consider what _she _wants too, Walter."

"She wants to get better," Walter replied, assuming he knew what his sister wanted.

"I'm sure she does," Paige nodded. Her palms slid from his face to his hands before her fingers folded over his. "And I know it's hard for you to empathize your sister, but the best way for you to understand her feelings is to listen to her. She just told you what she wants, Walter. She wants to live her life to the fullest in the event that you don't find a solution to her condition in time. I can tell she has faith in you," Paige muttered, "But at the end of the day, she still has to face her disease and be realistic too."

Walter grew silent as he factored in everything Paige had said about his sister. This whole time, Walter had been more focused on what he wants – a temporary solution to keep his sister alive, but he had forgotten to input Megan's feelings into the equation.

"Look," Paige caught his attention again, "I'm not suggesting that you remove Megan from the hospital altogether, but you two need to compromise on something. She obviously wants to spend more time with you outside of those hospital walls, and you want her to receive the best care _inside _the hospital. I suggest that you meet somewhere in the middle. If you let her spend more time with you and meet your other co-workers, perhaps she will consider continuing to live at the hospital and receive the care you want her to have."

"Excuse me," Megan called out to them, causing them to come out from behind the column with their hands still entwined. "I'm flattered that I'm the star of your conversation, but I would _love _to sit down _sometime_ beforeI lose the ability to walk."

Walter released Paige's hands and rushed over to the car to unlock it. He helped Megan hop inside as Paige slid into the front passenger seat.

"New car?" Megan asked as she sniffed the inside of the car. "It smells new."

"The car's mine." Paige turned around and smiled. "Walter's car keeps breaking down."

Megan laughed as she buckled herself into the car. "For a guy who lives with a group of geniuses, that's…pretty lame." Walter ignored his sister's comment and buckled himself in before pulling out of the parking lot. "By the way, have you decided on a verdict?"

Walter nodded. "Yes. We're going back to the Cyclone."

"Really?!" Megan smiled. "You mean that?"

"On one condition." Walter added.

"Anything."

"Paige helped me realize that I haven't been factoring your feelings into the equation involving your stay at the hospital. I am agreeing to compromise with you and let you spend more time with me if you _promise _to behave – meaning no more arrests or alcohol consumption – and at least stay at the hospital at night so that you are monitored while you sleep." Walter replied as he merged onto the highway.

"Score!" She punched the air, causing Paige to laugh. "Even though that last part sounded somewhat creepy, you've got a deal, bro."

Walter quickly glanced at Paige and received an approving smile. "So…," The nuance in Megan's tone suddenly changed. "I saw the way you two were holding each other's hands earlier. Are the two of you a thing now?"

"Th-thing?" Walter stammered as he saw Paige blushing in response to Megan's question.

"Yeah. You know, like dating." Megan clarified for Walter's sake. "I've seen the way you look at each other and that hand-holding back there looked _anything _but friendly."

"It's…," Paige cleared her throat and twirled her fingers together, "complicated."

Walter agreed; 'complicated' was definitely the proper term to describe whatever is going on between the two of them. There were so many instances that have occurred between the two of them that Walter still needed to accurately analyze before making further assumptions about their connection.

"Right." Megan chuckled. "Well…. That's awkward."

**~ SCORPION ~**

After Megan was introduced to the team, Sylvester was the only one of Walter's coworkers who continued to engage in a conversation with her. Happy decided to make stronger and more suitable braces for Megan as Toby returned to his Xbox Live. Ralph was back to playing Proton Arnold, and Paige and Walter were upstairs, waiting for Cabe to return to the Cyclone. Cabe had called the office earlier and told Sylvester that he would be back at the garage before 5 PM, and it was 4:15 PM in the afternoon, meaning, Cabe could arrive at any moment.

Walter handed Paige a cup of coffee as he sat down next to her. "What will you do with the information Cabe found out about Drew? Tell Ralph?"

"I don't know," Paige shrugged. "I guess it depends on the information."

"Okay," Walter nodded. "Seems like a logical answer."

Before Paige could respond, they heard the front door of the garage open abruptly. While they both expected Cabe to shout for Walter, a different voice filled the garage, enraging the both of them.

"Paige!" the unwanted presence called out for her. "You here?!"

Paige groaned. "I can't avoid him anymore." She turned to Walter as they walked towards the stairs. "The longer I ignore him, the more agitated he's going to get. Might as well face him and see what he wants."

"Was he always this…persistent?" Walter asked as he looked over the onning and saw Toby trying to calm the man down. Sylvester stood in front of Ralph to block his form out from Drew's line of sight. Happy was clenching a wrench in her hand, and Megan was simply sitting down on the couch and looked as though she had no idea what was going on.

"He was definitely…goal-driven." Paige replied as she, too, observed what everyone was doing. "I'll be back; I need to take care of him."

"You need some help?" Walter asked, thinking about the last time Drew had confronted Paige and grabbed her arm.

"Perhaps…it's best I handle this alone." Paige smiled and touched his arm before heading down the stairs. Walter followed a few steps behind. "Come, Drew." She said to the man, directing his attention towards her before he had the chance to spot Ralph. "Let's talk outside." As she led him out the back entrance, Walter grew rigid but kept his distance. He promised her he wouldn't interfere anymore, and he was determined to keep his promise. He _always _kept his promises.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

As Paige led Drew into the alley, she spun around and faced her ex-husband with her arms crossed against her chest. "I heard that this isn't the first time you've dropped by the garage since our last encounter."

"You weren't answering your phone nor your emails. Making a physical presence was the only other alternative." Drew replied with a frown. "Why won't you let me spend time with my son?"

"_My _son." Paige corrected him. "Even though you are Ralph's biological father, you don't have the right to call him _your _son."

"Well you could at least let me see him every once in a while." Drew replied as his arms flew into the air. "How many times do I have to tell you I want to do right by him?"

"Unbelievable," Paige shook her head in dismay. "Unbelievable." She then jabbed her finger into his chest. "_You _saw a chance to provide for your family so I let you go off and play baseball. For a while, things seemed okay, but when _you _deliberately tried out for another team without discussing things with me _first_, I could tell what mattered to you most. You claimed you were only trying to do right by us by making more money but then the checks stopped coming, and you stopped calling. You said the exact same thing when you told me you would come home after the season was over, but _you_ disappeared for seven years, Drew.

"You _abandoned _us; I thought filing for a divorce would knock some sense into you to come back and fight for us and fight for your son, but nope. I don't even know why I bothered having hope. A few weeks later, my lawyer called me up and told me you signed the papers, agreeing to the terms. So don't you _dare _tell me you want to do whatever's right for Ralph." Paige fumed as she stepped away from Drew. "As far as I can tell, the best thing for him is for you to keep your distance. If I want him to pursue a relationship with you, I'll call. But for now, I don't see it working out for the two of you to spend time with each other. So now that _that_'s been settled, you can leave."

As she turned to head for the door, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back towards him.

"Let go!" she ripped her arm out of his grip and smacked him hard across the face. "Leave." She pointed towards the street. "Now."

He rubbed his cheek and then crossed his arms across his chest. "I thought I would be nice and come to you first, Paige, after everything I've done to you, but I've seen what kind of hazardous work you and your coworkers do around LA, and I don't believe it's suitable for Ralph to be in such a dangerous environment."

"What are you implying?"

"I'm going to fight for the custody of Ralph." Drew replied, confirming Paige's suspicion.

"You don't stand a chance." Paige chuckled, trying to hide her fears of losing Ralph.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!" Drew spat as he handed Paige a document he had been hiding in his jacket pocket.

"What's this?" Paige asked as she looked at the piece of paper within her hands. She read the first few sentences and felt sick to her stomach. "You filed for a court order?!"

"Had to do _something _to get your attention." Drew shrugged. "An investigator will be arriving sometime tomorrow to determine whether or not this place is a safe environment for Ralph. However, in the meantime, my parents have agreed to watch Ralph until the custody arrangements have been settled. The judge doesn't seem to have a problem with it either."

"You _gave _me full custody when you signed the divorce papers!" Paige couldn't believe what she was hearing! To hell with the court order!

"Yes, but now I'm just some washed up baseball reliever." Drew replied with a smirk. "I have more time on my hands so I'll do whatever is necessary in order to see Ralph – even if that means resorting to these kinds of tactics so I can see him."

"Even if this was remotely okay by any standard, which it's not, Ralph hasn't seen your parents since he was a baby; they don't know how special he is." Paige fired back as he headed towards the door. "What are you doing?"

"Taking Ralph with me. My parents are in town so I'm going to take him to them." Drew replied as he opened the door. Paige slammed it shut.

"Oh no you don't." Paige spat. "Ralph's not going anywhere with you."

"Wanna bet?" Drew asked as he forced the door open, almost knocking Paige out of the way in the process.

As if on cue, Walter was standing in front of the entrance with his arms crossed in front of him. "Is there a problem here?"

"No. / Yes!" Drew and Paige answered at the same time.

Paige pushed past her ex and handed Walter the court order form. Walter quickly glanced at it and then back at Paige before directing his gaze towards Drew. "This is ludicrous." Walter said, waving the paper in the air. "No judge in his or her right mind would ever agree to this, given your lack of presence in Ralph's life."

"The proof is in the paper, Einstein." Drew patted Walter's shoulder, but Walter wouldn't budge.

"His eyes are dilated, and he's sweating like crazy, Walt." Toby suddenly said as he walked up to them. "He's definitely hiding _something_. Can I see that paper?" Walter handed Toby the document, and the psychoanalyst analyzed it thoroughly. "Well, no wonder Mr. Hot Shot's all hot and bothered; this document is fake."

"Fake?" Paige's ears perked as she turned to look at Toby.

"Yeah; I'm surprised Walt didn't notice it." Toby said as he pointed at the paper. "This paper stock is nothing more than good ole flimsy cheap computer paper. Most legal documents are printed on linen paper stock – you know, the good stuff." Toby said as he looked at Drew. "What did you do? Find a template online, copy it and make your own changes?" Toby squeezed between Walter and the frame of the door and added, "Besides, what kind of attorney is named Ernie Penrod? Sounds like a line from a very bad joke to me."

"And a dirty one, too, doc." Happy joined in with her wrench in hand.

"My favorite kind." Toby smirked.

"Okay, you guys are insane." Drew said as he tried to push his way through the geniuses. Walter pushed him backwards, however.

"What're you doing?" Walter asked as he pushed Drew away from the door.

"Going in to retrieve my son." Drew said as he tried to push his way past Walter. Walter countered Drew's sidestep, blocking him from the door as Paige closed it so that the others wouldn't intrude in such a personal matter anymore.

"I don't think so," Walter chuckled, "Your court order is fake; you have no more business to be here."

"Drew, just go." Paige said as she walked around Walter and stood between the two men. "You're not doing yourself any favors by being here. You've pushed things too far, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to let Ralph anywhere near you anymore. I think once was enough."

"This isn't over." Drew spat.

"It is." Paige frowned.

"I'm not going to let you deny me the rights to see my son – especially since it's _your _fault we lost Ralph's older sister." Drew towered over Paige with disgust.

"That's not fair," Paige's lips quivered as she blinked back her oncoming tears.

"You know damn well it's true." Drew fired back.

Paige noticed Walter's fist forming so before the man could punch her ex, Paige pointed towards the street down the alleyway, and told Drew to get lost and not to come back. Drew didn't move. "I said get lost!"

She turned around and headed for the door, letting Walter decide what to do with Drew. If he wanted to call the cops, so be it. She was tired of trying to be nice to the guy. If he wanted custody rights, Drew would have to fight as hard as he could because there was no way she was going to let him win the battle. Ralph was _her _son, and he was better off without Drew in his life anyway. Her son had something even better than a father – he had a big family, and that was all Paige could ever ask for.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

Walter waited until Paige had left before saying anything. He had heard what Drew had said about Ralph's older sister, but he decided to ignore his curiosity for the time being until Paige was ready to talk about it. Once the door had clicked, he stood firmly in front of it and frowned at the man. "You have no more reason to be here so I suggest you leave now while you still can."

"Is that a threat?" Drew took a step towards Walter and folded his arms in front of him.

"A civilized warning." Walter deadpanned.

"What's the worse you can do? Bore me to death?" Drew challenged Walter and chuckled.

Walter ignored Drew's comment. "You don't want to find out."

Suddenly Cabe came out of the Cyclone and walked up to them. "Toby filled me in. Go inside, Walt. I'll handle this. My badge is bigger than the police."

Walter didn't like to leave business unfinished, but he figured Cabe would be more convincing so it was more efficient to leave Drew to Cabe. As he headed for the door, the next thing that flew out of Drew's mouth sent Walter flying at him. He punched the man right in the nose, knocking him down onto the pavement. Walter started to advance him, but Cabe yanked him away from the washed up baseball player and pushed him towards the door, demanding him to stop being an idiot and go inside. Walter didn't move however.

"Get outta here, you idiot, before you make things worse!" Cabe pointed towards the door as Drew stumbled to his feet, coddling his nose.

"This isn't over!" Drew shouted before he scrambled away from the garage and headed for his car.

"If you come here again, I'll arrest ya for trespassing!" Cabe shouted before turning to Walter. "Sorry for yelling at you back there, kid. Had to make it look like I was on neutral territory."

"I did what I thought I had to do." Walter said stoically, not sorry for sending Drew to the ground.

"Trust me, Walter. If you hadn't given him a good wallop, I sure would have. He stepped out of line for what he said about the two of you." Cabe placed his hand on Walter's shoulder as they walked back into the Cyclone.

"Fill them in." Walter said to Cabe as Toby, Sylvester, Megan and Happy were gathered around, waiting for someone to explain things to them. He also noticed the nearly empty box of pizza sitting on the table in front of the couch. Walter didn't see Paige or Ralph, however. Before he could ask where they were, everyone pointed to the stairs. As Cabe made his way towards the other members of the team, Walter headed for the stairs. He found Ralph munching on a slice of cheese pizza.

"Hi Walter." Ralph smiled and waved, oblivious of what went on outside.

"Hey Ralph," Walter grinned as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"If you're looking for Mom, she's in your bedroom. She had a headache." Ralph said before taking another bite of his pizza. Walter couldn't blame her for having one; what Drew tried to do earlier was a lot to absorb – even for a genius like him.

"I'll go check on her." Walter said as he headed towards his bedroom. He found Paige lying down on his bed, staring at the wall. Unsure of what to do, he remained by the door but closed it to avoid unwanted ears. "If you need something for your headache," Walter said, trying his best to handle the situation at hand, "I have some Ibuprofen in my medicine cabinet in the bathroom."

Paige sat up and brushed her hair out of her face as she thanked him for his concern, but told him that the medicine wasn't necessary. He remembered how Paige used proximity as a way to comfort him when he was frustrated a few weeks ago. Perhaps the same would be applicable to her situation. He made his way over to the side of his bed and sat down next to her. She immediately leaned against his shoulder as a response.

"As Cabe tried to take control of the situation outside, Drew said some brash things about you. I lost control of my anger and punched him in the nose." Walter confessed, knowing Paige would want to know about what happened.

Paige lifted her head slightly and turned to look up at him. "What did he say?"

"You don't want to know," Walter replied quickly. "I didn't like the way he spoke about you so I did something about it."

Paige smiled and pushed herself upwards to kiss his cheek. He froze as her lips pressed against his skin. "Thank you," she whispered before kissing his cheek again, this time, closer to his mouth. His eyes widened as he gulped in response to her lips grazing against the side of his face, causing her to giggle as she left his side and rose to her feet. "I've gotta get Ralph home before it gets too dark."

"Okay." Walter nodded as he stood up too. As she started to leave, he reached out for her wrist but quickly released it once he got her attention. "Perhaps…, to be more proficient…, you and Ralph should consider moving into the Cyclone. You would waste less gas, and there's plenty of spare rooms here at the garage. You wouldn't even have to bother paying rent either. Statistically, it's more efficient to live here at the Cyclone."

Paige laughed. "I'll think about it." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his bedroom. Walter looked over the onning and saw Ralph and Sylvester playing Chess, while Toby was still playing Xbox Live, and Happy was finishing up Megan's braces.

When they got down the stairs, Paige released Walter's hand and walked over to Ralph as he made his way to Megan who was conversing with Cabe. "You ready to go? Paige is about to take Ralph and leave for home; I can ask her if she can drop you off at the hospital on the way."

"Happy's not finished with my new braces. Is it possible to wait until she's done?" Megan asked, looking towards Happy as the mechanic continued working on them.

Walter sighed. "I guess. Though, I don't know how you'll get back since my car is currently out of commission."

"We can wait, Walter." Paige said as she and Ralph walked up to him. "Happy looks like she's almost done anyway so it shouldn't take too long."

"Don't bother," Cabe chimed in. "I can take Megan back to the hospital on my way home. It's on the way."

"Are you sure?" Both Megan and Walter turned and looked at Cabe.

"Positive." Cabe smiled. "Besides, she's still not finished telling me all of your embarrassing stories, kid." He winked at Walter.

"In that case," Toby jumped right into the conversation, "I'll tag along too! Anything to get some dirt on Mr. 197!"

"Don't blame Cabe if he decides to dump you on the streets, Doc." Happy said from her workstation. "I'd be tempted."

"So turned on right now," Toby muttered towards Sylvester and Walter. "Then again," Toby looked back towards Happy, "I wouldn't want to miss a wonderful night alone in the Cyclone with _you_, Happy."

"But, Toby," Sylvester tapped him on the shoulder. "You two _won't _be alone. I'll be here, remember? Besides, Walter will most likely be coming back as well."

Toby frowned and stood on his tippy toes, facing Sylvester. "Fun sucker."

Happy suddenly arrived behind Toby, picked his hat off of his head and then tossed it like a Frisbee into the darkened part of the garage. "Fetch," she told him. As Toby left to search for his hat, Happy mumbled to the team, "If we're lucky, it might have landed somewhere in Bosnia."

"That's not possible." Walter deadpanned.

"Joke, Walter. It was a joke." Happy shook her head and then headed back to her workstation.

"Well, if we're all done here, I really need to get Ralph back home so I guess I'll be seeing you guys in the morning." Paige waved before giving Megan a hug. "It was nice to see you again, Megan. I hope to see you soon."

"Thanks, Paige." Megan smiled and then whispered something into Paige's ear, causing her to giggle. Walter wondered what Megan might have said. Walter followed Paige and Ralph out to the Chevy; he offered to drive, not wanting Paige to drive after the emotional evening she had. He figured he would take the subway back to the garage afterwards.

They rode the entire way to Paige's apartment in silence. Walter parked her car, tossed her the keys and walked with them up to her apartment room number. Once Paige unlocked her apartment door, Ralph raced inside, wanting to play more video games. Paige, however, was not so quick to walk inside yet.

"Thank you for everything you did today, Walter." Paige said as she took his hands into hers. "I really appreciate everything you do for me and Ralph; it means a lot." Walter scratched his head as she took another step towards him. Goosebumps crawled up his spine as she backed him against the wall, away from her apartment door. He grew rigid as she wrapped her arms around his neck; her eyes were leveled with his. He gulped. She combed her fingers through his hair and muttered, "I know you have a lot to process, Walter; that's the kind of person you are. So I'm going to give you something to add to your pros and cons list when you get back home."

Before he could respond, he felt her lips press against his. He froze, not sure how to process what was going on. She had been subtle in the past several weeks, giving him time to analyze those simple touches. He had noticed that the way she had kissed his cheek or held his hands grew more intimate as time passed; it was almost as if she had been preparing him for this very moment, but he still felt like he was blindsided by it. When she pulled away, she still kept her palms on his face.

"However long you need to take in order to process everything, I'll be waiting." Paige whispered softly before pecking his lips again. She quickly turned around and then walked inside her apartment before closing the door slowly. Walter stood in front of her door for five minutes before recovering from Paige's unexpected kiss. He touched his lips and then looked back at Paige's apartment door before making his way out of the complex. Never mind a taxi or the subway; he walked instead.

There was a lot he needed to process, and he needed the fresh air to accompany him as he made his way home to the Cyclone. However, as much as he wanted to accurately process and analyze his relationship with Paige as he walked home, he couldn't stop thinking about how soft her lips had felt against his. Or how much he didn't want her to leave.

And that frightened him.

**~ SCORPION ~**

* * *

><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_WOW! That was one hell of a long chapter! By the way, I don't know if it was ever said in the TV show whether or not Drew and Paige were once married, but I assumed they were. I also assumed that they are now divorced as well. I know my Drew is not the same as the TV show Drew. This is a what-if situation as it is obvious it isn't happening on TV. _

_Anyway, what did you think? _

_Too long?_

_Let me know! :)_

_(Next chapter is going to be fun. It's going to focus on Walter and him analyzing the pros and cons of Paige.)_


	14. Chapter 14

**WriterFreak001: **

**Thank you for all of the reviews so far. If it wasn't for FanFiction, I doubt I would be able to survive until January 5. It's been a whole week since the midseason finale, and I am going out of my mind because my show won't be back for another few weeks. **

**Except for BATB, **_**Scorpion **_**is the only other show that has affected me so much. I can survive hiatuses for other shows, but with BATB & **_**Scorpion**_**, I feel like dead weight without them. :'(**

**I will be sooooo pissed if **_**Scorpion **_**is not renewed for a second season (though I doubt it will be cancelled. It has the strongest viewing of pretty much all of the CBS shows).**

**Anyway, on to the stuff you actually want to read.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 14**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

The moment Walter returned to the Cyclone, he quietly walked to his bedroom and ignored the rest of his team as they blankly stared at him. As soon as he was in his room, he closed the door and locked it. He had a lot of processing to do and did not need external influences to factor into his analysis – at least not yet.

Since he knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep, he decided it was best to start his analysis as soon as possible in order to give Paige an efficient and effective response. However, before pulling out his pros and cons list, he reached for his little box of keepsakes and started thumbing through the trinkets. He smiled as he pulled out the sugar packet Ralph had used in place of a knight when he was playing chess at the diner. It was the first time he had recognized the child's enabled mind as well as decided that he wanted to do something to help the boy. After he had realized how vital Paige was to the success of the LAX case, Walter had found the solution he was seeking in order to help Ralph.

After placing the sugar packet back into his box, he grew a little frustrated because he still didn't have a talisman to represent his relationship with Paige. He thought about taking the straw that came with the water she had given him after he had finished communicating with the LAX communications team, but it seemed as though a simple diner straw was too insignificant of a representation – especially since he still hadn't figured out who she was to him.

One he slipped the box back under his bed, he opened the drawer to his bedside table and pulled out a leather-bound book he had used to write his thoughts and uncharted feelings down for future analysis. He flipped open to a marked page which revealed every pro and con he had written about Paige since he had met her a few months back.

However, he felt as though he still hadn't collected enough data even though he had written almost four pages that were filled with strict observations. As he thought about the list, he determined it was nearly impossible to ever collect enough data of Paige. Each day showed him a different side of her, and there was no formula that could predict what the next day would bring.

His sister had mentioned how fickle life was, and she was right. As much as he wished there was a universal formula that could calculate every single aspect of life, he knew it was implausible. The best he could do to predict particular outcomes was to construct a decision tree in order to map out every possible direction certain events (or certain people) could go, but even then, the future was uncertain.

He remembered the time he went drag racing; he had done all of the calculations and determined all of the factors in order to win the race. However, he was not able to predict the fact that he had to slam on the breaks to avoid a head-on collision with a pickup truck. It was a random act he was not able to properly input into his calculations. He could try to be a few steps ahead of everyone else, but there was no sure way he would be able to know what would happen the next day; it was impossible. If he could not foresee Paige's unexpected kiss, then how was he able to expect to have a perfect amount of data written about her? The only thing he was sure of was that Paige was a constant to the team of Scorpion; she was a constant to Ralph, and she was a constant to him too.

As he clipped back the pages of his journal (something he refused to admit he ever owned), Walter began reading everything he had ever written about Paige and hoped he would be able to provide Paige an effective answer by the time he was finished with his analysis.

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><p><span><em><strong>Paige Dineen – Observations, Pros and Cons<strong>_

**_Observation #1:__ She is very, very obstinate. _**

_Pros**:**_

_*1) her obstinacy has proved profitable during cases. _

_*2) her stubborn behavior motivates the rest of the team to work at optimal level, achieving the highest results possible. _

_*3) She fights for what she wants. _

_*4) She's determined to provide the best for Ralph. _

_Cons**: **_

_*1) she questions my judgment. (while her doubt proves effective in the long run, it is a little redundant – small detail, though.) _

**_Observation #2: __She is a caring individual. _**

_Pros**: **_

_*1) she loves her son. All collected data supports this observation. _

_*2) she takes risks in order to save hundreds of people. _

_*3) she has found different ways to connect with everyone on the team. (While she connects with us individually, she also makes it her priority to ensure we occasionally work together on group projects too. Group projects have solidified the team in more ways than ever before.)_

_*4) she does her job well. (It is agreed that everyone on the team – except for Paige and Cabe – do not connect with normals very well. Paige balances the equation out.)_

_Cons: _

_*1) she let Ralph meet Drew. (Note that this is not subjective; Drew's presence has been most unfavorable for the team and has placed more stress on Paige's life than relief. While Paige's intentions are deemed honorable, Drew's are not.) _

**_Observation #3: __Paige is outspoken. _**

_Pros__: _

_*1) she's not afraid to speak her mind. (This is extremely beneficial during cases – especially when she thinks we've handled something wrong.) _

_*2) she doesn't give in to Drew (while she allowed Ralph to meet his father, it is clear that Paige still remembers Drew abandoning the family. She does not let his sudden appearance (and possible unresolved feelings) cloud her judgment.) _

_*3) She is a very tactile person (while this is an overall observation of how she physically communicates with the members of the group as well as their clients, this is also a more personal observation as she seems to use touch as a way to communicate on a more intimate level, too. Her hands are warm, soft and comforting.) _

_Cons**: **_

_*1) tactile communication are sometimes misleading. May need more data to analyze completely. _

**_Observation #4: __She's brilliant (in her own way)_**

_Pros: _

_*1) while Paige is clearly not an intellectual genius, her unique intelligence benefits Scorpion by helping us see different matters through her own eyes. _

_*2) she is open to the idea of experimentation. (She has a great understanding as to how we think, and even though she does not think like us, she is able to come up with creative experiments that usually help us understand different things through her perspective. Sometimes, I personally benefit from such a technique because it enables me to hold her hand or sleep on top of her lap through the use of conductive research.)_

_*3) On a personal level, I have collected enough data to believe Paige senses my attraction towards her (hence intimate tactile communication); with each passing day, her level of physical communication increases. And the more she rubs my shoulder, holds my hands or kisses my cheek, the less uncomfortable I am underneath her touch (at least with the ones that are constantly repeated; newer experiences (like the first time she kissed my cheek) take a little more time to get used to). Whether or not she is aware of her process, she has used her tactile communicative skills in intervals (at least with me, she has). It first started with touching my arm or my shoulder, then it evolved into holding my hand and leaning on my shoulder. Next, she started occasionally planting kisses on my cheek. I appreciate her intervallic approach. _

_Cons: _

_None. _

**_Observation #5: __Paige is undeniably attractive. _**

_Pros: _

_*1) she does not flaunt her aesthetic beauty. _

_*2) she is simplistic (as long as Ralph is happy, she appears to be as well.) _

_*3) she isn't materialistic (granted, when she received her first paycheck from the government, she bought a new car, but it was out of necessity to provide Ralph a safer mode of transportation, not pure desire.)_

_*4) the curvature of her smile is positively daunting (it fazes me, and yet it puts me at ease, giving me something pleasant to calculate when I'm frustrated. I have calculated the parabolic structure of her smile more than once. Depending on how happy she is, the curvature of her smile changes; therefore, the act of re-measuring the arc of her smile is not redundant). _

_*5) there is something about her eyes that are appealing in addition to the arcs of her brows, the radii of her dark brown irises and the way light refracts from them. While it is virtually impossible to count the number of fractals embedded within her irises, it is easy to lose all sense of self when staring at them. For some irreconcilable reason, her eyes make me forget to think…and breathe. _

_Cons: _

_*1) her beauty is incredibly distracting (this could be a pro too depending on the situation.)_

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><p>Walter spent well into the night analyzing his pros and cons list. The fact that he had <em>wanted <em>to react to Paige's kiss with more than just a physical response scared him; all the "romantic" relationships he had ever been in were based on pure physical attraction. He usually ended such relationships after three months because he refused to develop any sort of emotional attachment to the women he had dated. He had always seen emotional attachment as a weakness; he had been let down by his parents (who didn't try hard enough to connect with him), by Cabe (his relationship with the Homeland Security agent was complicated and somewhat mending, but it didn't erase the fact that Cabe had disappointed him in the past) and by his sister (while she intentionally did not contract MS, the fact that she was slowly dying affected Walter more than he would ever admit; ergo his determination to find a cure for her disease).

He remembered the conversation he had with Dr. Davis after the painting fiasco; she assumed he didn't care for anything at the start of their session, but he corrected her, telling her he cared for his paycheck. That was only a partial truth. While he did care for his paycheck, he also cared for his friends, his sister, Cabe, his parents (no matter how distant they seemed to him), Paige and Ralph. However, there was no way he was going to admit such "feelings" to the psychiatrist; he hated being psychoanalyzed. Even more so by someone who wasn't Toby.

The people he cared about were indispensable. He would hate to lose his friendships with Sylvester, Toby and Happy; they had all been through a lot, and they were able to understand him (at most levels) unlike the rest of the world. As much as he argued with Cabe all of the time, Cabe was the best father figure he had ever had; when he refused to contact Cabe after the Baghdad incident, it was one of the hardest relationships he had ever had to break. He was grateful that his relationship with Cabe was on the mend; there were certain issues they still had yet to sort out, but it was a promising start. Even though he never connected with his parents, his parents were still his parents. Arguably, they had tried their best to connect with him, and to most people, their effort should count. In some ways, it did, but Walter would be an idiot if he didn't wish for the relationship he had with his parents to have turned out differently.

Then there was Megan. Megan was the only one in his family who had ever tried to connect with him; she helped get him out of trouble and was on his side for most things. When she got sick, however, Walter thought like he was going to lose the one solid relationship he had in his life. Even though she was alive and continued to fight for her life, he felt like his incapability to cure her disease ultimately created a disconnection between the two of them. He hated seeing her weak; that was why he had her cooped up in a hospital and only visited her once a week. Now, by allowing her to visit, he was going to try and make up for his failure and give her what she has always wanted – time spent with him.

In his own way, he loved his sister and his parents. Would he go as far to say he loved Cabe and his friends? Most likely not, but he held the highest regard for all of them.

At first, when he met Ralph, he wanted to put an end to the cycle where parents couldn't connect with their mentally enabled children. Toby, Happy, Sylvester and he had lived difficult lives when they were adolescents, and Walter didn't want that same fate for the boy. So he thought that if he helped Paige connect with her son, it would be a start to ending that cycle. However, he never anticipated the privilege he had obtained when he sort of took Ralph (and Paige) under his wing. Even disregarding Drew's sudden appearance, Walter felt drawn to Ralph; he refused to let the boy be bullied into the same type of life he had experienced. Even though Walter didn't know _anything _about being a father before meeting Ralph, he at least knew (from experience) what types of voids the father(s) in his life did or didn't fill. He applied that logic to what Ralph might have been feeling without a father present in his life and then made it a personal mission to help fill those voids for Ralph (even if Paige hadn't approved of it).

Even though he wasn't great with evoking emotions, Walter knew he needed Ralph in his life; Ralph had given him a chance to end a cycle - to create a solution - by guiding the young genius as he grew up and helping his mother connect with him.

When Walter thought about Paige again, he still had a few more factors to consider but after extensive analysis, he was most certain which answer he was going to give her. Flipping to a fresh page of his journal, he added a few more details that would solidify his answer.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

Paige couldn't sleep at all that night, and if she knew Walter like she thought she did, she knew he wouldn't as well. She meant it when she told him she would wait; she understood he had to spend extra time analyzing anything that had to deal with emotion, but it didn't mean she liked waiting. It made her more nervous, making her consider the possibility that he would choose to remain professional – whatever _that _meant anyway.

The more time she spent with Walter, the more she felt this growing attraction between the two of them. There were times she had to wonder if he felt – or at least noticed – this attraction as well. She, too, had weighed pros and cons over the past several weeks, wondering if kissing him would be the right move to make. Based on her own observations, Walter did have feelings; he also showed them in his own way as well. Sure, he's not an emotional butterfly, but Walter wasn't a robot either. He just needed to process things differently and find logical reasons to justify his actions as well as the emotions he claimed he didn't have. She wasn't blind; she figured he kept a pros and cons list of every relationship he had established. She caught him constantly looking at her before she made the first move by holding his hand and quickly determined that he was "collecting data" for his "research."

She had to inwardly giggle every time he stiffened under her touch; she didn't expect him to respond with heated passion the first time she kissed his cheek nor any other time she touched his shoulder or even his hand. But she _did _notice he was slowly growing more comfortable with her touch through repetition. By the way he defended her honor when he punched Drew in the nose, it gave Paige every reason to act. She wanted to give him as much data as he needed in order to prove to him that she had feelings for him as well.

For the longest time, she denied the budding feelings she felt for Walter O'Brien; she had been hurt in the past and didn't know if pursuing a relationship with a mentally enabled man would be the best thing in her life. However, she couldn't ignore how heated she felt under the intensity of his gaze; she could get lost in his eyes for hours as he observed her. It seemed as though the world was oblivious to her when she caught him staring at her or whenever she looked into his ever-inquiring eyes. And she wondered if he felt that way too.

Also, his desire to care for as well as protect her son did not go unnoticed. In the past, several years after she and Drew divorced, she had tried dating other men, but none of them were interested in getting into a committed relationship with a woman who had a child. At that time, she did not recognize how mentally enabled Ralph was, but she eventually had to give up on her romantic life and focus more on her relationship with her son. Ralph was the most important person to her, and any guy who wouldn't give him the time of day was worthless in her opinion. Ralph had already had an abandoning father; she didn't want him to experience the same type of loss twice. He didn't deserve such a cruel fate.

However, Walter was different. He had given Ralph more attention than Drew had ever done as the boy's biological father. While the 197 IQ genius might not have anticipated taking on the fatherly role in Ralph's life, Paige was grateful her son had someone he could lean on – someone he could connect with and still depend on in times of great need. Walter said, one time, that he wanted to have a second chance and provide Ralph a second chance too, and after everything he had done for her son, she wholeheartedly believed Walter wanted to make a big difference in Ralph's life.

For the longest while, she had intermittently showed her affections by touching Walter's arm, holding his hand or kissing him on the cheek. While she wanted the genius to incorporate her tactile communication style into his pros and cons list, she was also waiting for some sort of approval from Ralph. She didn't want to enter anything he wasn't comfortable with. While she was recovering from her near-death experience, Walter visited her often at home when she wasn't at the Cyclone. One night, after Walter left for home, Ralph made note of his observations to her and asked if they had meant anything. That night, she took her son aside and told him about her feelings for Walter and then paid him ten bucks to keep her disclosure a secret. She then asked him how he would feel if she and Walter were to ever engage in a romantic relationship in the future, and he said he would need to consider pros and cons before giving her an effective answer.

Knowing that Walter thought in the same manner, Paige accepted her son's analytic process and said she would tread carefully until he had given her his answer. Earlier in the afternoon, when Ralph had handed Paige his written assignment, he had also given her the answer she had been waiting for.

As Paige's mind drifted to the present she had given Walter before he left for the night, she could feel the heat in her cheeks and the butterflies in her belly. For minutes, she wondered if she had done the right thing, but she also felt like she needed to make the first move in order to show him she wanted what he obviously wanted too. Still, the thought of rejection unnerved her, but she was willing to take that risk.

She touched her lips and could still feel the presence of his lips against hers even though he froze like a Popsicle in response. His reaction was adorable, making him all the more attractive in her eyes. To cool herself down, she went to the bathroom and splashed cold water onto her face. Then after she dried her cheeks off, she decided to go and check on Ralph. She walked to his bedroom and peered into his cracked doorway; he was sleeping peacefully. She crept into his bedroom, pulled his covers over the top half of his body and knelt down to kiss his forehead. "Thank you, Sweetie," she whispered before kissing him again.

When she left his room, she ventured off to the family area and made her way over to her son's workspace. She unzipped Ralph's backpack and pulled out his writing assignment. She wanted to read it again and then let Walter read later it if he gave her the answer she was hoping for. She went over to the couch, turned on the lamp and sat down on the far left cushion before curling her knees up to her chest. She then whipped out the writing assignment and read through it again and again until she eventually fell asleep to the sounds of her son's words echoing inside her heart.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Ralph's POV**

A few hours after he heard his mother thank him for giving her his approval, Ralph slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. When he was done using the toilet, he washed his hands and headed back to his bedroom before noticing that a light had been left on in the family area. He first went to his mother's bedroom but didn't find her in her bed. He then made his way towards the living area and found her fast asleep on the couch with his written assignment in hand.

He smiled and took his written assignment out of his mother's hands before placing it on the coffee table in front of her. Then he climbed onto the couch as she absentmindedly made room for him. He turned off the light, curled up next to her and lay his head against her breast before eventually falling asleep himself. He was glad his mother was happy; he determined she would be happy with Walter. Walter was good, and Ralph could see what Walter could see in his mother. Ralph understood _what_ Walter had a hard time expressing to his mom.

Based on all observable evidence, Ralph knew that Walter and his mother wanted the same thing. And he wanted them to have what they wanted. He might not be able to understand _how _to express his feelings, but Ralph did understand one thing….

…that Walter and his mother were unquestionably falling in love.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I have to say…Walter's section was definitely a challenge to write. I hope it doesn't seem out of character. I felt it was also necessary to explore Paige's and Ralph's thoughts too as a relationship between Walter and Paige also includes Ralph into the equation. :) Let me know what you thought about this chapter; I am really trying my best to stay canon with the characterization (save for Drew since I developed my vision of him BEFORE his character was explored onscreen). _

_Thanks! More to come!_

_Next chapter will primarily focus on their answers. :) _


	15. Chapter 15

**WriterFreak001: **

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

**Nothing new here…other than the fact that I would like to explain something. In the seventh chapter, there was mention of a parent / teacher conference for Ralph. I forgot to mention that the meeting was held during the two-week time lapse. I wasn't sure how to portray a teacher adequately without making her sound too cutesy when discussing Ralph's academics; that's why I opted out on including the scene. Hope this decision didn't dash your hopes or anything. **

**Anyway, on to the good schtuff.**

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 15**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

Sometime after Walter scribbled the last of his thoughts into his journal, he slid the leather-bound book back inside the drawer of his bedside table and eventually fell asleep. A few hours later, his phone alarm buzzed and woke him up; he slid out of bed, took a quick shower and dressed for the day, wearing his usual attire. After he shoved his phone into his pocket, he made his way to the lower level of the garage, finding Toby sitting at his desk and twirling his hat.

As Toby used subtle gestures to call for his attention, Walter ignored the behaviorist and went straight to his desk. He placed his phone in front of him and booted up his computer. As he waited for the monitor to load, Walter stared at his phone and constantly checked the time, wondering when Paige and Ralph were going to arrive. It was a Friday; Ralph had school so Paige usually brought him over around 7:30 AM for breakfast. It was currently 6:54 AM.

"You're down here earlier than usual," Toby smirked, shaking Walter out of his thoughts.

"And?"

"Nothing," Toby shrugged as he took a step away from Walter's desk. "Just making an observation." Walter checked his phone again. 6:56 AM. As the phone screen started to dim, Walter began tapping his fingers. Toby's smirk grew wider. "Constantly checking the time on your phone…tapping your fingers…someone's pretty fidgety this morning."

Walter immediately stopped tapping and folded his hands together before placing his palms on his desk. He forced a smile and looked up at the behaviorist. "Are you psychoanalyzing me, Toby?"

"Well it's not like you're making it very hard, Walt." Toby rose his hands in defense. "But seriously," he took one step forward, "why are you so restless?" Walter made no comment. He logged onto his computer and pulled up his coding software – he needed _something _to distract him. Anything, really. "Does it have _anything _to do with a specific Pathos Liaison?"

Walter looked up from his computer with the same forced smile he had given Toby earlier. "If you think you're going to get anything from me by trying to drop subtle hints, Toby, I assure you, it won't work."

Toby smiled, however. "Ah, but it did, my friend. It did."

"No. It didn't." Walter refuted him. Other than the observations Toby had made in regards to his restlessness, Walter was certain he made no indication as to what (or who) the source of his agitated behavior was.

"Au contraire," Toby smirked and began to waltz away.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Walter stood up abruptly and leaned over his desk.

"You told me not to psychoanalyze you. So here I am," Toby chuckled as he sat in his desk, "behaving like the good behaviorist you've always wanted me to be. Sorry Walt," Toby cracked his knuckles and then crossed his arms in front of his chest, "but if you want me to talk, it's gonna cost you."

Walter walked over to Toby's desk, unsure of what type of game Toby was playing. "I won't break that easily," Walter said, causing Toby to shrug.

"Probably not." Toby opened one of his books and pretended to read it.

"Toby," Walter placed his hands on the behaviorist's desk, "I am your employer. I have the power to withhold your paycheck for the next month."

Toby chuckled and lifted his head from his book. "And that's how I know I have you in the palm of my hands, Walt."

Walter's brow lifted. "I don't understand."

Toby closed his book and leaned back into his chair. "Whether you recognize it or not, Walt, something or _someone _is clearly on your mind. I didn't have to read your body language in order to know that. The fact that you're down here this early in the morning indicates that you either didn't get enough sleep last night, or you're anxious about something. Perhaps both. Then you blatantly ignored me - which, by the way, is very, very rude might I add - and practically ran to your desk like a puppy chasing after a laser light. Oh! Let's not forget the constant phone checking and the finger tapping you demonstrated earlier. And when I tried to analyze you, you ignored me _again_ – only to look up when I mentioned something about Paige.

"And when I specifically told you I had figured something out about your supposedly very limited emotions, you went all defensive and came over here threatening me, Walt. _Clearly,_ Paige _is_ on your mind," Toby said as Walter pressed his lips together, "and you don't want me – nor the rest of the team – to find out what it is." Toby leaned forward slightly as Walter remained silent. "Trust me, Walt, you may be harder to read than most, but you're certainly not a robot. And the fact that you hid your lips the moment I mentioned Paige's name is a sure sign that you're hiding something. Your rigid stance indicates you are hiding something that is an uncomfortable subject; hence the fact that you usually tense up when you're uncomfortable." Toby smirked at Walter's involuntary reactions to his psychoanalysis. "And…if I had to put my two cents in –"

"You don't," Walter deadpanned.

"Oh, but I do." Toby smirked. "Based on the stiffness of your stance and how you _conveniently_ folded your lips inward when I mentioned the P-word," Toby looked as though he was enjoying this moment. Walter, however, was not. "I am guessing she planted one on ya last night. That would explain how…engrossed you were when you came home."

"Your conclusions are highly fictitious and are based on practically nothing; therefore, you pose an unconvincing argument." Walter replied and started walking back towards his desk.

"Deny it all you want, Walter," Toby called out to him, "but I'm always right!"

Ignoring the rest of Toby's banter, Walter grabbed his phone and headed back for the stairs. He passed Happy on his way to his room, and he was grateful she didn't say anything. Happy's ability to keep her thoughts to herself was one of her traits he admired; the only times she invaded his privacy was when she _wanted_ to be heard. And when she _did _want to be heard, he usually heard her loud and clear, especially the time she had to pull him out of the rabbit hole.

When Walter entered his bedroom, he closed his door and decided there was one opinion he _did _want to hear before giving Paige his answer. He needed a voice of reason – a person he could be frank with and not receive some psychoanalytical response. When he sat down on his bed, he scratched his head, pulled out his phone and called Cabe.

**~ SCORPION ~**

When Cabe arrived at the garage around 7:15 AM, Walter scribbled something on a piece of paper, placed it in an envelope and made his way over to Sylvester. "Sly, if you could give this envelope to Ralph when he and Paige pops by, I would greatly appreciate it."

"Is something wrong?" There was a hint of concern in Sylvester's voice.

"No, nothing's wrong." Walter smiled. "Cabe and I are going out for breakfast. I won't be back by the time they arrive."

"Oh. Okay." Sylvester nodded and removed the envelope from Walter's hands.

"Thanks." Walter said before turning around and making his way towards Cabe. As they left the garage, Walter ignored the three pairs of glances staring at the back of his head. The car ride to Denny's was silent; almost _too _silent for both Cabe and Walter, but both of them mutually agreed that their conversation was best saved for during breakfast.

After they had parked, retrieved a booth, sat down and took their orders, Cabe finally said something. "So..., you gonna tell me what this is all about?"

Walter leaned forward towards the table and took a sip of his water before answering Cabe. "The last time we talked, you told me to figure out whether or not I considered Paige and Ralph as problems I needed to solve as opposed to people I want in my life."

"Go on," Cabe nodded.

Walter was about to say something, but the waitress came by with their breakfast so he decided to wait until she was gone before saying anything. After she left, he took a bite out of his breakfast burrito. Then he continued. "Suppose I _have _considered how I view Paige and Ralph in my life, and suppose Paige made it clear she wanted to be _more _than friends with me. Suppose that she is waiting for an answer…," Walter took another bite out of his burrito as Cabe bit into his bagel-egg sandwich. "Should I risk the friendship we have now and pursue the type of relationship she wants with me?"

"Well," Cabe wiped his mouth with his napkin, "When did she tell you how she felt?"

"Last night…sort of." Walter's words faded. Cabe raised a brow, encouraging Walter to explain his answer. "She didn't exactly _tell _me her feelings in so many words."

"Come again?"

"She kissed me," Walter finally disclosed.

"On the cheek?" Cabe's eyes widened in response to Walter's confession.

"No." Walter shook his head.

"Well, hot dog. Did she say _why _she kissed you?" Cabe asked, completely intrigued with Walter's story.

"She wanted me to include it into my pros and cons list." Walter answered before taking another sip out of his water.

"I assume you placed it under the pros list?" Cabe grinned boldly. He took another bite out of his sandwich as Walter nodded sheepishly. "Have you already begun your analysis?"

"Yes. I worked on it for most of the night." Walter nodded. "I've completed it from a subjective standpoint; I need your objectivity."

"And you're asking me if starting a romantic relationship with Paige is worth the risk?" Cabe asked before taking a huge gulp of his Orange Juice.

"Precisely."

"Well," Cabe scratched his head, "I'm not the best expert in the romance department, but based on my experience, romantic relationships always come with risks, Walter. There's no perfect formula for one. But if it's a relationship you're bent on keeping much longer than three months, then you need consider answering a couple questions."

"Like what?" Walter opened his second burrito and dumped some salsa and sour cream inside of it.

"For one, do you adore Ralph?"

"You know I do." Walter nodded.

"You're right; I do, but my next question is this: If you're willing to romantically involve yourself with Paige, would you be able to set aside personal endeavors for Ralph if he ever needs you?" Cabe's tone was serious, and Walter knew he meant business.

"Of course. Ralph's needs are far more prevalent than anything else." Walter reassured Cabe. "I'm willing to do anything in order to keep Ralph safe."

"Okay," Cabe nodded, "What about Paige? I'm gonna tell you somethin', kid. Paige isn't looking for a three-month ordeal; she's looking for the real thing. So if you're only planning on having this relationship for only three months, then you better stop before you get started."

"Don't worry, Cabe." Walter smiled as he started forking at his hash browns. "If I accept her proposal, I want it to be genuine – or least try to make it genuine. I have done the analysis, Cabe. Drew failed Paige and Ralph on multiple levels. I don't want to be like Drew."

"Good." Cabe chugged down the rest of his Orange Juice.

"I sat down for hours last night," Walter continued after wiping his mouth, "and analyzed all of the data I had collected on Paige over the past several months. I couldn't sleep so I decided to examine all of my records carefully in order to give Paige an effective answer. By the end of my list of pros and cons, I realized one important factor I had forgotten to consider into my evaluation."

Cabe smiled. "You know; that dorky, glowing look on your face spells everything out for me, kid. I think it's safe to say that you had already made up your mind before calling me up for breakfast." Walter stabbed at the remnants of his burrito as Cabe continued, "Why don't you keep your epiphany to yourself for the time being and then share it with Paige when you think the time is right."

Walter nodded. Perhaps that conclusion would be for the best. Without another word, Walter noticed Cabe was done eating so he pulled out a $20 and placed it on the table, covering both of their meals as he had promised to do during their conversation on the phone.

**~ SCORPION ~**

By the time Walter and Cabe returned to the garage, everyone was awake and working on separate projects. Toby was reading, Sylvester was working on the next page of his Sudoku workbook, Happy was finally examining Walter's car and Paige was sleeping on the couch. He wondered if she had had a hard time sleeping last night too. Before Walter could approach her, Sylvester quickly strode over to him.

"As instructed, I gave Ralph the envelope. He was a little disappointed that you weren't here, but he was grateful for your newest riddle. He told me to tell you he said hi." Sylvester stated as Cabe made his way over to the coffeemaker.

"Thanks," Walter smiled as he patted Sylvester's shoulder and made his way over to Toby.

"After this morning, I had a feeling you didn't want to talk to me for the rest of the year." Toby chuckled as he leaned back into his chair.

Walter ignored his comment and went straight to business. "Have you looked into our psychoneurophobiological conditioning theory?"

"Is that what you're calling it?" Toby raised a brow. "Seems like the name could use a little work."

"Just answer the question, Toby." Walter folded his arms in front of him as he waited for Toby to respond.

"A little bit," Toby nodded. "But it's going to take a few more days of research. Have _you _figured out what Paige's pleasantries are?"

"Not yet; it takes a bit longer to collect data than to conduct research over the internet or by reading a book." Walter said with a frown.

"Here. I have an idea," Toby's eyebrows lifted. "Why don't you just go and ask her, Walt? If anyone knows Paige, it's Paige; she already knows about the project so it's not like you have to make up some half-assed story as to why you want to know what makes her happy. Trust me, conversation goes a long way, and you'll have answers in a matter of hours as opposed to days."

"Easier said than done," Walter muttered as he left Toby and headed for his desk.

"I heard that!" Toby exclaimed, causing both Sylvester and Happy to look in his direction.

By the time Walter sat down at his desk, Cabe walked to the center of the room and spoke loudly, "Got a call a few minutes ago detailing a robbery downtown. LAPD and the FBI have requested Scorpion's aid in the case. Grab what you need, and let's go!"

Walter stood up, packed his laptop and the rest of his equipment into his briefcase as everyone else made their way to the door. As the rest of his team waited for him, he briskly walked over to the couch and shook Paige awake.

Her eyes fluttered open before she stretched her arms and yawned. "What is it? Did I miss something?"

"We have a case. There was a robbery downtown, and Cabe says the LAPD and the FBI need our expertise. Will you be all right by yourself?" As much as Walter wanted Paige to accompany them on the case, she was still not cleared to do any field work.

Paige nodded. "I should be. If I'm not here when you return, I'll most likely be on my way picking up Ralph from school."

"Okay." Walter said as he took a few steps backwards towards the door.

"Come back safe," Paige smiled and then added, "all of you."

Before Walter could respond, Cabe honked on the horn and shouted for him to get his ass in the car ASAP. "You too." He managed to say before disappearing behind the door, leaving Paige alone within the garage.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

As Walter left, she wanted to know what he was thinking. She wanted to know if he felt as nervous around her as she did with him. Granted, if he did, he was very good at hiding his feelings, but she couldn't expect anything less from him. Walter was a complex individual; she didn't expect for him to blush or feel awkward around her after kissing him the night before. For all she knew, he had compartmentalized that moment and tossed it away with all of his other unprocessed feelings. But the way he smiled at her before leaving gave her a small ounce of hope that he _had _an answer for her.

Around 1 PM, Paige wrote a quick note and placed it onto Walter's desk before heading for her car. She needed someone to talk to – she needed someone who knew Walter better than she or the rest of the Scorpion team members did. So, as soon as she was done filing out a few forms, she decided to visit Megan. With the case, she didn't know if Walter would get a chance to visit his sister so she thought she would step in and visit Megan for him.

When she arrived at the hospital, she sat down at a table and waited in the lobby for Walter's sister to make her way to her. The moment she saw Megan, she smiled and waved, urging her to sit down in front of her.

"When they said I had a visitor, I was expecting Walter." Megan laughed as she took her seat. "I'm guessing he got caught up in a case?"

"Something like that," Paige's smile widened. "How are you doing, Megan?"

"I'm alive," she shrugged. "That's an accomplishment."

Paige grinned and chuckled at Megan's response. "At least you're staying positive."

"Yeah…. Kind of have to, you know?" Megan smirked. "I figured that as long as I have a positive outlook on my situation, things would be easier on Walter. Though, sometimes I think my positivity has Walter thinking I could get better. He may be a genius and claims he doesn't believe in superstition, but then he's convinced he'll cure my disease. That seems a little messed up, if you ask me."

Paige covered Megan's hand with her palm. "He told me everything has a solution in his mind. Like I said before, letting him believe he can cure your disease helps him cope with your condition. You reminded him, the other day, how fickle life is at times. I think it's safe to say that life's messed up too. People like us don't always have to have the answers. We have an easier time accepting reality for what it is. Walter, from what I've gathered, sees life as nothing more than a gigantic formula. It's his way of seeing the world; when something doesn't fit into his formula, it confuses and frustrates him. I may not be as smart as your brother, but being a part of Scorpion has opened my eyes on so many things. I am able to better connect with my son because of your brother, Megan. I have come to believe that everything happens for a reason, and you never know, perhaps Walter _will _find a cure for MS. Perhaps that is the reason you have this horrible disease."

"Perhaps," Megan shrugged. "Walter knows death is inevitable, but in my situation, he wants to find a way to either stop me from dying or cure my disease. If he's not able to solve this problem by the time this disease takes my life, he's going to be crushed, Paige. He'll most likely find himself going into that rabbit hole again."

"Don't worry, Megan," Paige squeezed Megan's hand. "I won't let that happen."

"You know," Megan smiled, "I feel better now that my brother has you in his life. I don't know what it is, but I've never seen Walter look at someone like the way he looks at you, Paige."

"Thanks," Paige blushed. "Actually, Walter is kind of the reason why I came to visit you today."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Well," Paige paused as she considered her next train of thought, "I sort of ambushed him last night, making it very clear that I …uh… that I want to be more than friends with him." Paige felt very flustered all of a sudden. She didn't have many close girl friends, and she wouldn't dare say these kinds of things to Happy. In all honesty, outside of the Scorpion family, she really didn't have many friends. She sort of cut them all off when she married Drew because they kept telling her how they didn't like him. Of course, back then, Paige was blinded by love and wouldn't see to reason, but now she knew better. She was beginning to see Drew's true colors, and she didn't like what she's uncovered. "I told him that I would wait for his decision, knowing that he would need time to process everything."

"Get out," Megan smiled. "So," she lowered her voice, "How did you ambush him?"

Paige's cheeks grew warmer. "I…I kissed him."

Megan's grin reached her ears. "And did he kiss you back?"

"N-not exactly…. I think he was more shocked than anything. He sort of froze, actually." Paige laughed. "I think I caught him off guard."

"Nice." Megan chuckled. "So… Did he give you an answer yet?"

"Not yet," Paige shook her head. "I told him I would wait for as long as he needed to process everything. This morning, he somewhat acted like nothing happened."

"Don't beat yourself up, Paige. Walter's always been like that; he usually puts emotional things aside and deals with them when he's ready to deal with them. He claims it makes him concentrate better. When the time is right, Paige, I'm sure Walter will confront you and give you his answer. While he may strive for efficiency, he's doesn't like rushing things either."

"That's true," Paige smiled. "I guess I just want to know if you think I pushed him too hard last night by surprising him with that kiss."

"Honestly? I don't think so. I mean, based on all of the subtle gestures you have been giving him – like the time you two held hands behind that pillar – Walter should have realized that you kissing him wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. It was bound to happen sometime, right?"

"I guess you're right." Paige squeezed Megan's hand again. "I just hope I wasn't too forward with him."

"If Walter was a regular guy, it probably would have seemed like it; but let's face it, Paige, my brother isn't exactly…orthodox. He wouldn't know what it would mean to be 'too forward' if it had smacked him in the face." Megan laughed. "So, I wouldn't worry too much about it." Megan looked up and smiled. "Speaking of the devil…."

Paige turned around and saw Walter walking towards them. "Hey," he glanced at her before sitting down in the chair to her left. "I saw your note."

"How did you get here?" Paige asked, knowing Walter's car was still out of commission.

"Cabe dropped me off on his way back to HQ."

"Ah. So how was the case?" Paige asked as he scooted himself closer to the table. "Was the perpetrator caught?"

"Yeah. It was actually a pretty easy assignment. Happy noticed a serial number printed on the gun the robber had used when we were reviewing the security tapes. Once we found the perpetrator, I chased him for a good mile or so before he slid on a puddle of mud and landed in a pile of canine feces. Cabe quickly apprehended him while I left to clean off." Walter explained and then looked at his sister. "Hi Megan."

"Hello to you too, little bro." Megan rolled her eyes slightly as to how late Walter's greeting was. "So…, let me guess, to make sure the perp didn't get away, you jumped on top of him and landed in the poop too."

"It was the most efficient way to keep him from running." Walter blinked.

Megan looked at Paige and said, "There are two type of guys in the world. Guys who would simply walk up to the perp and step on his groin to keep him from moving, or guys like Walter who would risk landing in a pile of poop for the greater good."

"I did the calculations, Megan." Walter frowned. "Trust me; tackling him to the ground and landing in canine feces was the only way he would stay down until Cabe arrived."

"To each their own, Walter." Megan laughed. "To each their own."

"I'll be right back," Paige said as she stood up. "I'm a bit thirsty so I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and grab a cappuccino. Do either one of you want something?"

"I'm good." Walter smiled.

"A coffee would be great." Megan grinned. "Thank you."

"No problem." Paige said as she gave Walter one last look before leaving for the cafeteria.

**~ SCORPION ~**

"So…. She told me what happened last night." Megan laughed, causing Walter to reel his head back in her direction.

"She did?"

"Yup. Now I know you have the hots for her so don't even _try _to tell me you're still trying to process everything, Walter. The way you watched her walk away from the table told me everything I need to know about how you feel about her. Knowing you, you were probably analyzing something to do with how she walks. Either that, or you were checking her out." Megan shrugged.

"I was not…checking her out." Walter leaned towards his sister and spoke quietly.

"Then why are you whispering?"

"To make a point." He deadpanned.

"Whatever," Megan rolled her eyes. Then, she smirked. "So…. How are you going to ask her out?"

"Hm?"

"You know, a date?"

"I wasn't planning on it." Walter shrugged.

"Well, you gotta do _something _special when you give her the results to your analysis." Megan leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her. "Simply pulling her aside from the rest of the team ain't gonna hack it, baby bro."

"Why not?"

"Not everything has to be efficient, Walter." Megan laughed. "I know you're not great with emotions, but take my advice; ask Paige out for a nice dinner. She'll like that. Then after the two of you eat, take her somewhere like the beach or a park – somewhere that the two of you could just sit and talk without the pressure of being surrounded by a bunch of people." Megan leaned forward and took Walter's hands in hers. "Walt, Paige is an amazing woman who seems to understand you a lot more than you think. She also has a son whom you adore. If you really like her….hell, if you even _love _her, don't you think you owe it to Paige to give her a night you want her to remember?"

Walter sat silently as he processed what his sister was saying. "I don't know if I'm cut out for that."

"Think about it this way, Walter. If you want to prove to Paige that you want something more than just a three month long relationship, then you've gotta up your game a little bit, don't you think?"

Taking _that _into consideration, he knew his sister was right. Cabe had said the same thing to him earlier; telling him that he needed to prove to Paige that he didn't just want some three month fling. Perhaps taking Paige out to an elegant dinner would be the solution to that problem. "Okay. So how do you suggest I ask her to dinner?"

"You could just ask her, you know?" Megan laughed. "Not everything has to be complex, either, Walter. Ask her out for dinner, tell her you'll pick her up from her apartment around 7 PM, make reservations, buy a bouquet of her favorite flowers, and then give those flowers to her when you pick her up."

"Seems time consuming." Walter gulped.

"Trust me, Walter. It'll all be worth it." Megan smiled. "Anyway, we should probably shut up if you don't want Paige to overhear us."

Walter turned around and saw Paige coming back with a coffee for Megan and a cappuccino for herself. "Sorry it took so long," Paige laughed, "I didn't realize how long the line would be."

"Don't worry about it," Megan said as Paige handed her coffee to her. She took a sip from her cup and rolled her eyes upward. "Oh my God, you're the bessst!"

"You're welcome, Megan." Paige chuckled and then placed her cappuccino down onto the table and dropped her purse to the floor before looking at her watch. "Oh my! I gotta go and pick up my kid!" Walter stared at her as she slung her purse over her shoulder. "It was nice seeing you, Megan." She waved at his sister, "Hope to see you around the garage soon."

"Thanks for visiting, Paige." Megan smiled. "It was great talking to you. Tell Ralph I said hi."

"I will." Paige reached for Megan's hand and squeezed it. Then she looked at Walter with lifted eyebrows. "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Walter nodded. "I'll be back at the garage in an hour or so."

"Okay." Paige said as she turned around and headed for the door. Suddenly, Walter felt his sister jab one of her crutches into his ankle.

He groaned in response. "What was that for?!"

"What do you _mean _'what was that for?!' Now's your chance to ask her out for dinner without disruptions!"

Walter shook his head in frustration. "Not now."

"Then when?" Megan raised an eyebrow.

Walter grunted as he scratched his neck. Without another word, he stood up and walked briskly over to Paige.

"I'll be right here waiting for your return, baby bro." He heard Megan say in the background before he caught Paige's attention by touching her shoulder. She turned around, surprised to see him.

"Something wrong?"

"No. Erm…," He paused for a brief moment and then said, "I…," He scratched his neck. "I'll walk you out."

"Oh. Okay." Paige grinned softly. As she turned back around, Walter turned to face Megan who was giving him two thumbs up. He quickly turned away from his sister and walked beside Paige as he accompanied her to her car.

On their way to her Chevy, they walked in a comfortable silence. When they reached her vehicle, she pulled out her keys and unlocked it. However, she wasn't too quick to hop inside the car. She leaned against the side of her car as Walter stood in front of her and fixated on her eyes as he tried to read her expression. He wasn't having much luck though. One of the many things he hated about having such a high IQ was being ill-equipped with the ability to understand emotions. Against all logic, he wanted to know what she was feeling as he looked into her eyes.

"Walter," she slowly waved her keys in front of him. "I have to go."

"Right." Walter nodded and stepped aside. As she started to open her car door, he remembered what his sister had said about asking Paige out for dinner. When he heard her buckle her seatbelt, he quickly wedged himself between the car door and the opening and then gripped the roof of the red car. Paige looked immediately at him; before she could ask him what he was doing, Walter said, "I think we should talk about last night."

"Walter," Paige gestured towards her steering wheel, "now isn't a good time."

"I know," Walter said as he tightened the grip he had on the roof. "What about tonight?"

"Tonight?" Paige blinked. "When would we find time and have the privacy to talk?"

Walter started to get a little frustrated; he had been able to ask women out on dates before, but for some incomprehensible reason, asking Paige out for dinner was exponentially difficult. He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly as Paige watched him struggle with his next train of thought. "In order to avoid certain disruptions and obtain optimal privacy, the only logical solution is for us to have dinner together to establish the appropriate atmosphere for our discussion which would happen afterwards."

Paige suddenly smiled. "Is that…are you…"

"Have dinner with me." Walter finally said as he saw glimmering fractals shimmering from Paige's dark brown eyes. "Paige," he cleared his throat, "I want you to have dinner with me…tonight…."

"On one condition," Paige paused and slid on her sunglasses.

"And that would be?"

"We go somewhere that's Italian." Paige grinned. "It's my favorite type of cuisine."

"I think I can manage that." Walter smiled as he bit his bottom lip. He slipped out from between her car and her door so she could close it. She rolled down the window and waved as he said, "Go and pick up Ralph. He's probably waiting."

"Probably," Paige chuckled. "I'll see you tonight, Walter."

"Bye." He waved as she rolled up her window and started reversing out of her parking spot. He began walking back towards the hospital entrance when he realized he had forgotten to tell Paige what time he would pick her up. Without thinking, he ran back towards her car and called out for her as he stopped in front of her vehicle. She slammed on her breaks the moment he tapped his palm on the hood of her car.

"Oh my God, Walter!" Paige exclaimed as she rolled down her window again. "What were you thinking?! I could have hit you!"

He walked over to the side of her car. "I knew you would stop right away so I wasn't worried."

"What was so important that you had to risk your legs in order to catch my attention?" Paige asked as she put her car into park.

"Seven," he deadpanned.

"Seven?"

"I'll pick you up at seven." Walter said as he scratched his neck.

"You don't have a working car, Walter."

"Don't worry about it; I have a solution for that." Walter's lips curved upwards. "Just be ready by seven…."

"What about Ralph? My neighbor's out of town so…."

"I'm sure Cabe would be able to watch him for you." Walter replied. "If not, we can drop him off at the garage and have Sylvester watch him. In either case, I assure you he will be well taken care of."

"Okay." Paige nodded. "Wha-"

"Paige, Ralph's waiting."

"Right. Bye." She said as she rolled up the window. Walter took a few steps away from her car and watched her leave the hospital parking lot. Then reality came crashing down on him.

He was going on a date with Paige.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Okay… so I sort of lied when I said that this chapter would focus on their answers…. I felt like both Walter and Paige needed some objective insight beforehand. Now that that's out of the way, the next chapter is going to be funnnnn to write! :) _

_What did you think? The most challenging part of this chapter to write was when Walter asked Paige out on a date. Hopefully it seemed canon to all of you. _

_By the way, I am going to take a SMALL break from this story because of (1) Christmas and (2) I would like to write a one-shot SCORPION Christmas special. Though, I don't know if I'd be able to top the beautiful Christmas ending to "Dominoes." But…. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! _

_MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (_

_But seriously, would you like that? Let me know via review! :D_


	16. Chapter 16

**WriterFreak001: **

**I wrote my Christmas one-shot. :) It is called "One Insatiable Moment of Absolute Insanity." While I adore Quintis, mostly everything I write for Scorpion will be Waige-centric. There are many Quintis fics out there, and I feel like there isn't a lot of Waige stories. That being said, I'm going to help fill the void and give you guys Waige. I will include some Quintis fluff within my stories, but that ship will not be the main focus for me. **

**Almost January 5! (ish)**

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 16**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

Walter slowly made his way back inside the hospital, replaying the last ten minutes inside his mind. He had taken his sister's advice and asked Paige out for dinner, but he wondered if it was the right move to make. As much as he secretly wanted to dine with Paige in a fancy restaurant, he was hardly the romantic type, and he didn't think she would be interested in discussing work with him over dinner.

"So? How did it go?" Megan asked, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Italian." Walter replied as he sat down. "She likes Italian."

"I thought she would say yes." Megan smiled and took Walter's hand in hers. "She really adores you, Walter. Much more than you think."

"I'm beginning to think this wasn't a good idea." Walter scratched the back of his neck as he leaned into his chair.

"And why's that?"

Walter kept silent and stared at the wall beyond his sister.

"Walter?"

"Paige and I work together. This dinner could compromise the relationship we currently have. I have a bad track record when it comes to dating, and I don't connect well." He slipped his hand away from Megan's and folded his arms. "This date is bound to fail."

"It will if you continue thinking like _that_, Walter." Megan frowned. "What's gotten into you? Before you left to talk with her, you were like putty in her hands." Walter grew silent and refused to answer his sister. "What are you _really _afraid of, Walter? The fact that you'll ruin your date? Or…," she paused as Walter looked at her, "the fact that maybe, just maybe, tonight might be one of the best emotionally-driven nights of your life?" Walter pressed his lips together and stared at the table. "Walter?"

Walter inhaled a deep sigh and gathered his thoughts before answering his sister. "Paige has been waiting for the results to my analysis; I planned on telling her tonight after dinner."

"So what's the problem then?"

"I don't want to disappoint her." Walter confessed as he continued to stare at the table. "She's already been disappointed by Ralph's father on multiple levels, and I don't want to be like him. In order to achieve maximum pleasure, tonight has to be perfect. And I'm not romantically nor emotionally perfect. I can spit out perfect formulas and write flawless programs, but when it comes to women, I cannot seem to hold onto them."

"Walter," Megan reached for his hand again. "Don't beat yourself up just because you've had a couple of lousy girlfriends. It's not your problem; it's _theirs_. I can tell you have something special with Paige, and despite your intellectual differences, the two of you connect very well. You need to give her the benefit of the doubt, Walter. She is not like the other women you've dated so you shouldn't compare her to them."

Walter gulped but wouldn't say anything.

Megan took that opportunity and continued. "I know I haven't known Paige for very long, but based on everything you've told me about her, you don't _need _to achieve perfection tonight. All you need to do is be yourself." Walter finally looked up at his sister as she gave him her pep talk. "Paige didn't say she would go to dinner tonight with Mr. Perfection; she said yes to my brother, Walter O'Brien. Now, if you don't want to be that guy tonight, go ahead and call Paige. Cancel your date." Megan shrugged. "But if you do, then it _will _be _your _problem, and you _will _have to deal with the consequences."

Walter inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly as he leaned backwards and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hey," Megan squeezed his hand. "You said you didn't want to disappoint her, right?" He nodded his head slowly. "Then what're you still doing here, Walter? You have reservations to make! And flowers to buy! And a suit to change into! If you're late for your date on my account, I won't hesitate to jab _both _of your feet the next time I see you."

Walter grimaced. The first time she jabbed his toe was very painful; he would hate to provoke her to strike again. As he let out a loud sigh, he pushed his chair out from underneath the table and stood up. He squeezed Megan's hand and smiled. "Thanks, Megan."

"You're welcome." Megan grinned before nudging him towards the door. "Now get outta here and have some fun for once in your life." As he started to leave, she grabbed his wrist. "Remember, Walter. I want full report tomorrow afternoon so make room in your busy schedule to visit me."

"I'll try," Walter chuckled. "Bye."

"Bye." Megan waved as Walter turned around and made his way out of the hospital. When he was out of earshot from his sister, he pulled out his phone and called Cabe.

"_What have you gotten yourself into now, kid?_" Cabe stated after answering Walter's call.

"I need your help."

"_I'm going to need a little more context then that, Walter. My brain ain't __**that**__ smart._"

"First of all, are you busy?"

"_Not especially…._"

"Good." Walter quickly answered. He sat down on a bench outside the hospital and then continued. "I'm going to need you to pick me up from the hospital and take me to Hetty's."

"_Whatever for?_"

"Can you do it or not?" Walter didn't have time to play twenty questions. He had three and a half hours left before seven, and he needed _all _of that time to prepare for his date with Paige.

"_Yeah. I guess so._"

"Good. I'll explain on the way."

**~ SCORPION ~**

"Well look at you, Einstein." Cabe patted Walter's shoulder as he stood in front of a set of white curtains inside Hetty's dressing room. "You look pretty damn good for someone going on his first date."

"This isn't my first date." Walter corrected the agent.

"You know what I mean." Cabe rolled his eyes and took a step backwards. "Now spin and do a twirl."

"Very funny." Walter deadpanned as he straightened his bowtie.

"Yes. You do look rather handsome." Hetty smiled as she examined Walter. "Paige is going to have a hard time keeping her hands to herself tonight."

Walter's eyes widened as his whole body stiffened in response to Hetty's statement.

"Oh don't scare the kid, Hetty. I'm sure he's pretty damn nervous as is." Cabe laughed as he patted Walter's shoulder again, knocking him out of his frozen state.

"I n-never said I was going out with Paige." Walter stammered as he tried _very hard _not to think about the possibilities to which his date with Paige could lead. He might not understand all of the emotions that happen during a date, but his high IQ didn't constrain certain physical urges. The delivery, however, was a different story.

"No. You didn't." Hetty chuckled. "But the way you're glowing now was the same way you were glowing the night you danced with Paige. I'd like to think it doesn't always have to take a genius to figure things out."

"Humans don't glow." Walter stated as Hetty walked over to Cabe.

"Not in the physical sense, you dumbass." Cabe shook his head in dismay before turning to Hetty. "See what I have to work with?"

"Charming fellow, isn't he?" Hetty bumped Cabe's elbow. "Now," she looked at Walter, "you've made your reservations and have bought a bouquet of flowers. Is there anything else you need to do before you pick Paige up for dinner?"

Walter scratched his head. "Well…," he looked at Cabe, "I need a car."

Cabe shook his head. "I have enough mercy in me to tell you _not_ to pick Paige up in a squad car."

Walter sighed. "Plan B, then."

"What's Plan B?" Cabe's eyebrow raised.

"Taxi." Walter shrugged.

"You can't take Paige out on a date using a taxi!" Cabe exclaimed as he threw his hands outward.

"Well Plan C is to have Paige pick me up instead." Walter frowned.

"Aye aye aye." Cabe shook his head in dismay. Then he looked at Hetty and pointed at Walter. "Have any bright ideas as to how to fix this mess?"

"As a matter of fact," Hetty smiled. "I do." She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Before pressing TALK, she looked at Cabe. "I have a friend who manages a limousine service and owes me a favor. However, he's very forgetful so if I can't seem to re-jog his memory, I need to know if Homeland is willing to pick up the bill."

Cabe shrugged and glanced at Walter with a smile. "For all the hard work Walter's done for us, he deserves it. So sure. Why not."

"Good." Hetty grinned. "I'll be right back; Luigi has very sensitive ears, and I wouldn't want any witnesses should I have to mildly threaten him to remember the favor he owes me."

Once Hetty left the room, Walter walked up to Cabe and thanked him for everything he's done to help prepare him for his date with Paige.

"Don't worry about it, kid. Even a genius with limited emotions like you deserves to be happy." Cabe patted him on the shoulder. "Besides, I like Paige. She's a keeper if you ask me."

Then Walter remembered about Ralph. "What would you say if I asked you to watch Ralph tonight? Paige and I don't really want the team to know about our date – at least not until we figure out where we stand. That's one of the reasons I called you for help; the last thing I need is Toby tailing me as I tried getting ready at the garage."

"And the other?"

"You know how to keep a secret." Walter answered immediately. He knew that if knowledge of his date with Paige reached the garage, the entire team would know about it in seconds. Both he and Paige were private people, and neither of them wanted to be interviewed by Toby or Sylvester about their date. Walter couldn't care less if Happy knew; she was good at keeping secrets for the most part. She had a lot of them herself and didn't bother anybody with her problems nor did she want to get in the middle of anybody else's. "So," Walter looked at Cabe, "Ralph?"

"You still have an hour yet so once Hetty gets back and tells us whether or not Homeland is covering your ride, I'll leave and pick up Ralph from Paige's apartment. I've got the rest of the night off from work so I think I'll take him to Griffith Observatory; that should occupy him for a while." Cabe smiled.

"Yeah," Walter chuckled. "He'd like that."

"Good. Cuz that's the only thing I might be able to afford tonight if I have to pay for your ride; Homeland's business office isn't exactly efficient when it comes to sending out reimbursements."

"Griffith Observatory is free. You won't have to afford anything." Walter said.

"Exactly." Cabe laughed as Hetty made her way back into the room.

"Looks like you're in luck Cabe." Hetty said as she walked up to them. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to re-jog Luigi's memory; wherever Walter decides to take Paige tonight will be free of charge."

"That's a relief." Cabe wiped his brow. "What did you have to do to kindly convince him to remember?"

"I prefer to keep that little tidbit to myself, if you don't mind." Hetty smiled. "The few who know, the better."

"All right; I've gotta jet. I hear a soon-t0-be anxious boy is waiting for my arrival." Cabe said before leaning towards Walter's ear as he squeezed his shoulder. "You'll do fine, kid. Just remember two important rules, Walter."

Walter's ears perked. "Rules?"

"Yes." Hetty nodded. "Even dating has a universal code of conduct. Though, I find it very fascinating how many people tend to ignore these well-accepted rules."

"Anyway," Cabe redirected Walter's attention to him. "Rule number one: never, never, never let your date pay for _anything_. You were the one who asked Paige out for dinner, so you will be the one who pays for the dinner and anything else tonight."

"I expected as much." Walter answered quickly. "I have noticed, from past dates, that women do not like to pay for their own meals. I assumed it would be the same for Paige."

"Rule number two: no funny business on the first date." Cabe waved his finger in front of Walter.

"Funny business?"

"I think he means you shouldn't have sexual intercourse on the first date." Hetty said, catching both of the men's attentions.

Walter choked and froze as Cabe's eyes widened. "Wow…. You really went for it, didn't you?"

"I have learned it's important to be frank with the youngsters these days if you want to have any luck getting anything across." Hetty shrugged. "But then again, Cabe, Walter and Paige are grown adults. What they decide to do on their date should be up to them, not us."

Cabe sighed. "I guess you're right. Part of me still thinks he's still that eleven year old boy I met many years ago."

While Walter could hear what they were talking about, his mind started running through various coding programs he had created in the past in order to keep himself from thinking about Paige in ways he shouldn't.

"Bye Walt. Have fun." Cabe shook his shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

Walter acknowledged Cabe leaving, but he didn't say anything. He didn't trust himself to say a single word after daring to think about the _type _of future he might have with Paige after their date. It was almost too much to handle.

**~ SCORPION ~**

Walter was silent and stiff during the entire ride from Hetty's office to Paige's apartment. While he was mildly anxious for what he had planned for Paige, he was also trying to avoid small talk with the driver. When the limousine was parked, Walter stepped out of the vehicle and told the driver where to go next.

As he made his way to the complex, he stopped and wheeled around, heading back towards the limousine. He knocked on the passenger side window, asking the driver to scroll it downward.

"Something wrong?"

"I forgot to tell you not to leave for the restaurant until _after _I am back with my date." Walter said, causing the driver to blink.

"I think that's pretty obvious, kid."

Walter pressed his lips together and nodded before walking back towards the complex. He then remembered the flowers. He was about to race back towards the limousine but decided he would give them to her after they were settled in the vehicle. Then he realized they would need water and would have a better chance of living longer if he brought them to her apartment. Without another minute to waste, he darted for the limo again, quickly opened up the middle door and reached over for the bouquet of roses. Then he scrambled back towards the complex and took in a deep breath before walking inside. If he had left anything else in the limo, he was going to have to go without. He took the elevator up to the third floor and walked towards her apartment door. He knocked on the door before bending over to catch his breath. He didn't anticipate the door to open so quickly.

He straightened himself out and froze when he saw Paige - who was wearing a long, slim, silver, strapless dress – standing within her doorway. He had forgotten how to breathe.

"Walter?" she sounded concerned. "Are you okay?"

He gulped and blinked as her voice shook him out of his reverie. "Y-yeah." He nodded. Then he remembered the roses. He extended his hand and held the roses in front of Paige. "These are for you."

"Thank you," she smiled and took them from him as she smelled the petals. "They're lovely." She took his hand and pulled him inside her apartment. "Give me a minute so I can put these in a vase of water."

"Okay." Walter nodded while she left him to search for a vase. She hummed as she placed the roses into a tall, round vase and then filled it with water. He watched her as she placed the flowers on the center of her dining table. Once it was perfectly centered, she walked back over to him. "Ready?"

"Mhmm." Paige smiled.

"Okay." Walter nodded and then turned around before walking out of the door. Paige laughed as she locked her apartment. She called his name, causing him to stop halfway down the hall as she caught up with him. "Something wrong?"

"We're not playing Follow the Leader, Walter," Paige chuckled as she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers with his. "There. That's better." She pressed her cheek against his shoulder and urged him to continue towards the elevator.

It was definitely going to be an interesting night.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I had actually planned on writing the entire date in this chapter, but I felt like this would be a good place to end. Even though I said this chapter would focus on the date, I felt as though the scenes with Megan and with Cabe and Hetty were important to include. Next chapter, I SWEAR, will be WAIGE magnificence! _

_My favorite part to write: Walter and the limousine._

_The most challenging part to write: Hetty's character. (While I occasionally watch NCIS: LA, I am not very familiar with the show so characterizing Hetty was a little challenging. I hope it seemed in character for those who are familiar with her character on NCIS: LA.) _

_What did you think?_


	17. Chapter 17

As of December 30, 2014, I have revised the ending to this chapter. It is only a slight revision, and it does not change the storyline whatsoever. If you have read this chapter before, the revised section starts right after Walter says: "I don't know how to let go."  
><span>

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

**Being a Supernatural fan, I am greatly disgusted with how some of the members of the SPN fanmily are being treated on Tumblr. If you are a Supernatural fan and have been receiving hate messages from anonymous cyberbullies, I would first like to say I'm sorry that you have to be a victim of something so cruel and unacceptable. It's sickening to live in a world where people refuse to exist in harmony and accept everyone for who they are. But please know this: YOU matter. Don't let the words of some idiots get inside your head because they obviously don't have anything better to do with their pathetic lives. YOU are worth it, and YOU are loved. If anybody would like to talk, send me a tweet on Twitter (username: WF001Scorpion) or a message on Tumblr (A Beautiful Mind WF001), and we'll talk! If you want to send a PM, I can't guarantee if I'll answer right away since they don't go directly to my phone. But if you want to talk, we'll talk for as long as you want to! :) **

**And if you are not a Supernatural fan, the message above still applies! I am open to talk with anyone who wants to talk. It can be about fandoms or life. :) If you're not being cyberbullied but are going through a tough time, I am open to talk to you too! :) Fandoms are family, and like Supernatural fans, Scorpion fans are family too. If you know someone who is going through a rough time for any reason, don't ignore it. Talk to them. And hug them and tell them they matter. **

**All right, sorry for that rant, but I felt like it was important to say.**

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 17**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

After Walter helped Paige step into the limousine, he followed in after her. She walked all the way to the back of the limo and sat down on the right side of the seat facing the front of the vehicle. He took his seat next to her and buckled himself in as she did the same. He motioned for the driver to take off as Paige leaned against his shoulder with her fingers still latched onto his.

"When you said you had things covered, I never expected you to arrive in a limo." Paige said softly as she admired the interior of the vehicle.

"I wasn't planning on it," Walter confessed. "I was hoping to borrow Cabe's car, but he didn't think a squad car would be the best vehicle to use; thankfully Hetty had a solution."

"Hetty?"

"After you left the hospital, I asked Cabe to pick me up and take me over to Hetty's. I needed something to wear as well as collect certain materials. Remembering how resourceful Hetty had been in the past, I felt like a visit to her office was most efficient." Walter explained as he stared towards the front of the vehicle. "I-if it's too much to handle, we can opt for an alternative."

"It's fine, Walter." Paige laughed. "I think the limo is nice."

"Okay." Walter nodded as Paige covered the top of his hand with her other palm. For several minutes, they sat in silence and simply enjoyed each other's company (even _if _Walter would never admit these feelings outside the pages of his journal).

"Does Toby, Happy or Sylvester know?" Paige finally broke the silence.

He shivered in response to her soft voice tickling his ear. "No." Walter shook his head. "I opted not to tell them."

"Perhaps it's for the best." Paige replied as she pressed her cheek against his shoulder again. "For now, at least."

Walter decided to change the subject, "Cabe told me he was going to take Ralph to Griffith Observatory."

"I know; I think it's sweet how Cabe connects with Ralph." Paige smiled. "I'd like to think he's the grandfather Ralph never really had."

This information caught Walter's attention. "Ralph doesn't know his maternal grandparents?"

"I don't have the best relationship with them…. I haven't seen my parents since Drew and I eloped after we found out I was pregnant. My parents never really liked Drew," Paige forced a laugh. "They kept telling me what sort of guy Drew was, but I wouldn't listen." Paige looked anywhere but at Walter. "I simply wouldn't listen, and now Ralph and I are paying the price for it."

"You and Ralph aren't alone anymore, Paige." Walter answered candidly, causing Paige to look at him. "We – the team and I – won't let Drew take Ralph away from you. And you know I only state facts."

Paige gently wiped her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Walter." She wrapped her arms around his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder once more. Because he recognized her need for comfort, he gently pressed his cheek against the top of her head and faced the front of the vehicle, hoping the limousine driver run into a few stoplights on the way to the restaurant.

**~ SCORPION ~**

By the time the driver parked, Paige had recovered and was back to her usual chipper self. Walter remembered what Paige had said in the hotel so he took her hand and led her out of the limousine. He helped her step out of the vehicle and handed the driver a piece of paper which indicated where Walter wanted him to take them next. As he escorted Paige to the front door, her brown eyes ogled at the electric sign in the window.

"I've always wanted to dine here," Paige said as she turned to look at Walter.

"You said Italian," Walter shrugged. "We have a lot to talk about after dinner so I figured we should dine somewhere that had outstanding customer reviews, excellent service and _real _Italian cuisine. Vincenti's Restoranti was the most efficient selection."

They walked into the restaurant and made their way to the front desk.

"Welcome to Vincent's Restoranti," a young blonde woman smiled. "Did you two have reservations?"

"Yes." Walter nodded.

"Last name?"

"O'Brien." Walter replied and watched the greeter mark out his name on her clipboard.

The greeter looked back up at Walter and Paige and pointed to another young woman with dark brown hair, "If you follow Bridgette, she will lead you to your table."

As Bridgette started to leave, Walter and Paige followed her towards the back and were seated at a small table with two chairs. "Your waiter will be here momentarily," Bridgette said with a smile before walking back towards the front of the restaurant.

Walter looked around the restaurant and felt a little intimidated. He felt a little out of his league but knew Paige was worth the small inner torment he was feeling around the many aristocrats sitting about the restaurant.

"Hey," Paige placed her hand over his, drawing his focus back on her. "Are you okay?"

"I'll admit…. I never anticipated the significant number of aristocrats that would dine here when I made the reservations today. Aristrocrats make me slightly nervous." Walter confessed as he tapped his foot.

"Then block them out." Paige squeezed his hand. "You're very good at tuning things out when you're concentrating on something."

"No," he shook his head. "If I focus my mind on the geometrics of this room or the wine bottles next to us, I will be tuning you out too." Walter frowned. "I didn't ask you out for dinner simply so you could watch me think."

Paige turned Walter's hand over and started drawing imaginary circles on his palm. "Then don't focus on your surroundings either, Walter."

"I don't understand." Walter said as someone walked up to their table. Their visitor introduced himself as Tyler and handed them a pair of menus. He recited the various specials for the night before someone else delivered a bottle of champagne to their table.

"I didn't order this," Walter said as he looked at both of the waiters.

"Walter, it's okay." Paige squeezed his hand. "It's a gift. See? There's a note on the bottle."

"Oh." Walter said as he saw the folded card tied to the cork of the bottle.

"If you want something else to drink during your time here, please let me know. I will be back shortly to collect your orders." Tyler stated before wheeling around to tend to someone else's table.

"What does the card say?" Walter asked as he saw her opening it.

"Looks like we've been compromised," Paige laughed nervously.

"What do you mean?"

She handed him the card so he read it out loud:

"_**Dearest Walter and Paige, **_

_**Despite the fact that you couldn't trust your only friends with life-changing news, we have purchased this oh so lovely bottle of champagne as a token of our blessing. And here you were probably thinking we wouldn't find out. Anyway, enjoy! **_

_**Remember to drink responsibly! **_

_**~ Sylvester, Happy and Toby**_"

Walter read the note to himself a few more times before it sank in. He should have known better; his team was bound to find out eventually – it was just a lot sooner than he anticipated.

"Well…," Paige laughed, "That was nice of them."

"I guess. But if it's all right with you, I'd rather save the alcohol for after our _discussion_." Walter said with a small smile.

"Good idea," Paige grinned in response.

"Yeah." Walter shrugged as he started looking at the menu. As he read through the various choices, he was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed again. His anxiety had nothing to do with the prices; because of his job with the government, this restaurant was affordable. The price was the least of his problems. The plastic covering refracted light into various shapes, and he started to lose himself within thought.

Then he felt Paige squeeze his hand, shaking him out of his mind. "Yeah?" His eyes lit up as he recovered quickly.

"I asked you if you knew what you wanted to eat." Paige said as she continued squeezing Walter's hand.

"Oh. No. Not yet." Walter shook his head. "I got lost in thought as I looked at the menu."

"Would you like to share a dish then? I have been looking at the orders from all around us, and the meals are enormous. I don't think I'd be able to eat an entire dish by myself." Paige laughed. "I'm thinking about ordering Spaghetti Alla Carbonara Di Salsiccia E Carciofi."

"Sounds good to me." Walter said, not really understanding a single word she said. Suddenly, he felt the need to apologize for earlier. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For getting lost in thought…. It happens quite often." Walter avoided her gaze, but he could tell she did not stop looking at him.

"Walter," she leaned in towards the center of the table, leaning slightly to the left to avoid the bottle of champagne. "Walter, look at me."

Walter kept looking at the table.

"Walter…," her voice faded. Finally, he looked at her. "Listen to me carefully, okay?"

"Okay."

"_Never _be sorry for who you are." Paige locked her fingers within his hand and brought his palm to her lips. Before she could say anything else, Tyler came back, took their orders and disappeared again. Then Paige continued. "If it troubles you not to have your mind focusing on something, then focus on me." Walter's eyes widened at her suggestion. "If you focus on only me, it will not only solve your distraction problem, but it will also allow you to still hold a conversation with me. Yes?"

Walter gulped, unsure of what to say. None of his past girlfriends had ever given him that suggestion before. Sure, he would assume they would have wanted him to focus on them, but it was hard when they were so high-maintenance. Paige never had to ask him to look at her; he would often find himself occasionally drifting his eyes towards her whenever they were on cases or at the garage. He understood that she was not calling attention to herself; based on his other observations, Paige was very modest and hardly thought of herself. Ralph was always her main priority. To suggest that he should focus only on her was a very bold request, but it was also highly logical too. Strict evidence showed him that Paige was very good at understanding how his mind worked; he was not blind to that fact. She might not understand him on an intellectual level, but she _did _understand him in other ways – ways in which Toby, Happy and Sylvester did not. "In theory, yes," He finally answered.

"Then consider this as another experiment." Paige smiled as she sat up and smoothed out her silver dress. "Now intrigue me, Walter." She reached for his other hand and held it too. "What do you see when you look at me."

Walter pressed his lips together and inhaled a deep breath. Paige was certainly asking a lot from him. He could go on for hours talking about what he saw in her. Before he had a chance to answer, their appetizer was served. When their server left, Walter picked up the bottle of champagne and placed it on the floor next to the wall. He wanted to be able to see Paige without looking over or around the bottle. She removed her hands from his and started spooning some Bruschetta onto a piece of Italian bread. He followed her actions and then bit into the bread. They spent the next few minutes in silence as they enjoyed their appetizer. After Walter took a bite from his last piece of Bruschetta, he placed the remnants of the bread onto his plate and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Finally, he gave her an abridged answer to what he saw in her. "When I see you, Paige," he caught her attention, "I see the world differently, and…," he paused, "against my better judgment, I want to continue seeing what I see every time I look at you."

Paige smiled. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes." Walter answered quickly. "I only state facts, remember?"

"Yes," Paige nodded and leaned her cheek against his palm. "I remember."

**~ SCORPION ~**

A few hours later, Walter and Paige were back inside the limousine as the driver took them to their next destination. After some brief conversations about Ralph and Paige's therapy sessions, Walter caught Paige completely off guard when he decided to continue answering her question she posed in the restaurant. "Earlier you asked me what I see when I see you, and I wasn't completely forthright in my answer."

"Oh?"

"There were things I wanted to add – wanted to explain, but I didn't know how to put them into words you would understand." Walter said as he stared off towards the front of the limo.

"Then tell them to me in _your _language instead." Paige said as she twisted towards him and placed his hand against her lap as she started drawing imaginary circles on his palm again.

"Okay." Walter nodded. "First… It's your dress."

"My dress?" Paige raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he nodded. "But nothing bad. I promise."

"Okay," Paige laughed. "What did you notice about my dress, Walter?"

"When I saw you walk out of your apartment," Walter confessed, "my eyes immediately narrowed in on the aesthetics of your dress. I noticed how it sparkled in the light like stardust in the night sky. In those brief seconds, while I stood in your apartment building like an idiot," Walter paused while he observed the increased curvature of Paige's smile, "my mind created seven artificial constellations on your dress by focusing on different refractions at a given time. The interstellar aesthetics of your dress are truly remarkable."

"What else do you see?" Paige inquired with a smile.

Walter nodded and looked into her eyes. "Your eyes intrigue me. I have tried, numerous times, to understand why your eyes make me lose all train of thought, and why, sometimes, they force me to forget how to breathe, but it's a mystery I'm still trying to solve. Once, I thought it was how light refracts from your eyes, but light refracts from Megan's eyes and Happy's eyes. Their eyes do not have the same effect on me. Only yours do." He smiled.

Before Walter could say anymore, the driver notified them that they were at their destination. Walter and Paige returned to reality and unbuckled their seatbelts before exiting the limousine. Paige's eyes lit up when she realized where they were and anxiously pulled Walter away from the limo, dragging him towards _their _bench. The park was mostly abandoned as they walked about the sidewalk. Occasionally, they passed a few people on their way to their bench, but for the most part, they were surrounded by darkness with few streetlights lighting up the park.

When they found their favorite bench – a place of respite for both Walter and Paige, they sat down with their knees touching as their bodies were twisted at different angles in order for them to see each other. They sat in silence for a couple of moments before Walter started talking. "I asked you out tonight was because I had some answers I needed to give you. Answers you have been patiently waiting for in the past twenty-four hours. And after spending almost an entire night analyzing all of my observations I have noted about you, Paige, I do have answers for you."

"Perhaps I should go first then," Paige said, placing her hand against his chest to stop him from taking any further. "There might be some extra factors you may want to include in your overall analysis." Paige started digging through her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Ralph handed this to me yesterday afternoon. I had told him a few weeks ago that there was a possibility something _more _could happen between the two of us; I wanted his opinion first before anything. I'm not going to hide anything from you, Walter. I will admit that before I met you and after Drew and I divorced, I did try dating again. However, none of the guys I dated would give Ralph the time of day. When I realized it would be virtually impossible to have a relationship with any guy, I focused all my time and energy on Ralph. Everything I did was for Ralph because he will always be my number one guy.

"Anyway, it took him a few weeks to evaluate pros and cons – he is very much like you, Walter. The way he thinks, that is." Paige smiled. "When he gave me his written assignment yesterday, he had also given me his answer." She unfolded the paper and handed it to Walter. "I think you should read it for yourself."

Walter took the paper from Paige and smoothed it out before glancing at it. Instead of reading it to himself, he read it out loud:

_**Prompt: Write about your family.**_

_**My family is unique. There is no other word to describe how different we are compared to other traditional families. **_

_**First, there is my mom. She's been my anchor for as long as I can remember. For years, she was the only one I would talk to. Although I couldn't connect with her, she still listened to me and loved me. She let me paint her nails so I could hold her hand. My mom is special. **_

_**I have only seen my biological father once in the last seven years. Other than the fact that he liked going to the movies, I have nothing else to say about him. I don't know him very well, and I don't know if I want to get to know him. He makes my mom cry. **_

_**Second: Sylvester. He's like a brother to me. He and I play chess when we aren't solving calculus problems together. He is fun to be around. While he may be scared of a lot of things, he is very brave. I hope one day he sees how brave he is. **_

_**Third: Toby. Toby is a behaviorist. He psychoanalyzes everyone in our family, and while they find it annoying, I think it's funny. Everyone in our family has a strange and unorthodox way of showing that they care. I think psychoanalyzing our family members is just Toby's way of showing that he cares. He's an oddball who sometimes gambles. But he's working on it. He's like the weird uncle I never had. **_

_**Fourth: Happy. It's hard to describe Happy. She is quiet when she's not mad at something. She likes machines and lets me use some of her tools sometimes. She gave me a set of Allen wrenches once. Happy, in her own way, is fun to be around too. She may have a hard exterior, but if there's one thing she cares about, it is our family. We are all she has in the world. I wouldn't call her a sister or an aunt. She's too cool for those titles. **_(Walter laughed at that statement.) _**Maybe she's like a cousin to me. I don't have cousins, and if I had one, I'd like my cousin to be someone like Happy. **_

_**Fifth: Cabe. Although I don't see Cabe very much because I'm at school when he's with everyone else, he does take the time out of his very busy schedule to visit when I can see him. He sometimes reads to me after having dinner with my family. He's really fond of my mom in a father-daughter sort of way. He may be tough at times with other members of my family, but he's kind and nice around me. Perhaps, someday, Mom will let me call him Grandpa. I'd really like that. **_

_**Sixth: Walter. If it wasn't for Walter, then it still would have just been Mom and me. I met Walter at the diner my mom used to work at. He was fixing the Wi-Fi. He was the first person to understand me on an intellectual level. He's helping my mom connect with me as she helps him connect with the world. Walter is interesting, to say the least. While he claims he isn't great with emotion, he still cares for all of us. Walter makes my mom smile. He makes my mom feel special. He makes us all feel special, but I think he makes my mom feel special in a different way. Mom is happier now that Walter is in her life. I like it when she smiles more. Sometimes, after school, Walter and Mom pick me up together. They take me back to the garage, and Walter lets me work on projects with him. Those projects are fun. The best part about Walter? He doesn't like going to the movies…. Occasionally, the three of us will go and get ice cream. In the last few months, Walter has been more of a father to me than my own dad. I look up to him as any son would his father. Sometimes, I wish he was my father. But then I think about the rest of my family. Other than Mom and me, no one else is blood-related. That means my father doesn't have to be blood-related either. **_

_**Walter, Mom and I create a basic family unit. And then there's Sylvester, Toby, Happy and Cabe, my extended family. We are a cyclone of scorpions, willing to do whatever is necessary to protect each other. **_

_**And I wouldn't have my family any other way. **_

Walter folded the writing assignment back up and looked at Paige; she was smiling at him. "Can I keep this?" Walter asked, and Paige nodded in response. He wanted to add it to his tokens' box as a keepsake and a reminder. He knew Ralph's association of Drew and the movies was his way of understanding why Drew left. He had overheard the boy disclose that information with Paige weeks ago. Walter would be an idiot if he said he wasn't touched by Ralph's letter. Even though he would never admit it, he was deeply moved. Especially when Ralph said he didn't like movies. That was Ralph's way of saying that Walter would never leave him like his dad did.

"Walter," Paige squeezed his hand. "I don't know if I can make it any clearer for you, but…," she paused and brought his palm up to her chest, placing it against her heart. "I _want_ us. Ralph already adores you, and that's a step-up from all of the other guys I've dated in the past. I know getting involved with someone I work with has its risks, but I'm willing to take those risks and make things work out between us. I think we owe it to ourselves to see where things go for us; don't you?"

Walter didn't answer right away. He spent a few minutes absorbing everything Paige had said and processed it. Did he want what she wanted? Very much so. Did he recognize the risks that were involved? Every single day. But there was one risk that outranked all of the others; it made him realize that even if he and Paige remained friends, this major risk was still a possibility – and the possibility of losing Paige was unthinkable.

Unbearable.

Incomprehensible.

And that scenario alone was enough to solidify Walter's answer for Paige.

Walter revealed his journal he had been hiding in the limousine for most of the night and thumbed through the pages until he found the last entry he had written about the woman sitting next to him. He handed the book to her and pointed the conclusion of his analysis. "I'm terrible with long speeches so…it's best if you just read it." Walter said as he scratched his head. She lowered her nose into the book and started reading it out loud:

_**It is virtually impossible to record every single observation I find when I see or think of Paige. Therefore, I have developed one single observation that sums up everything I internally feel about her (Note: This last entry is for Paige's and my eyes only). **_

_**Observation #6**__**:**__** Paige is a constant in my life. **_

_**Cons (normally I list pros first, but I feel like I should write the cons first for this observation instead):**_

_**(1) What I feel for Paige and the continuous thoughts I have of her frightens me to no end (but because she has successfully helped me deal with my emotions in the past, I am certain she can help me in this situation too). **_

_**(2) At this point in time, I cannot fathom nor compute the rest of my life without her (ergo, she is my constant). (Note: this con also applies to Ralph for I cannot have any sort of relationship with Paige unless I include him into my analysis as well). (Note #2: I consider this statement as a con because it means losing Paige (and / or Ralph) would have an adverse effect on me mentally and emotionally).**_

_**Pros: **_

_**(1) Despite what I want other people to believe, she is in every fiber of my being (in simpler terms: I cannot stop thinking about her; this can be a con as well. See point #2 for reference). Her presence brings me peace of mind. **_

_**(2) She helps me get out of my head every once in a while. My head is a dangerous place to be in for too long. Mark Collins proved that to me long ago. I need Paige's guidance. It's a must. **_

_**(3) She knows I think and act differently than 99% of the world's population, and yet, she has made it clear that she prefers "me" over "them." How that happened? I am still trying to figure that one out. **_

_**(4) Beyond all rationality, I think I might be falling in love with her. **_

_**Overall Conclusion**__**: **_

_**Paige piqued interest in me and told me she would wait until I had a proper answer for her. After extensive examination, I am willing to consider her proposal and give our relationship a chance.**_

Paige closed the journal when she finished reading Walter's conclusion. Walter was staring at the moon with his lips pressed together to a hard line. He scratched the back of his head as his eyes scrolled over towards Paige; she looked as though she was waiting for something.

Walter gulped. "You have my answer; meaning, we have achieved the reason for scheduling this date." He stood up. "Let's go back to the limousine now." He started walking away, but Paige jumped from the bench and grabbed his hand, stopping him from walking any further.

"Not so fast," Paige laughed as she pulled him towards the base of a large Jacaranda tree.

"Did I miss something?" Walter asked, unsure of what he could have possibly forgotten.

"Just a small detail," Paige smiled as she gestured a small measurement with her thumb and forefinger. She wrapped her arms around his neck where her fingers were barely weaving through his curly hair.

"And what would that be?" he gulped and took a step back, bringing her with him.

"You have an IQ of 197, Walter," Paige muttered as her fingers danced through his hair. "I think you already know." Before he could respond, she pressed her lips lightly against his, causing his entire body to freeze in response. Laughing, she pulled away and brought her palms to his cheeks. "Walter, no one else is watching; you don't have to hide your feelings from me." She pecked his lips again; he loosened a little bit. She leaned her forehead against his as he stared downward towards the jewels hanging around her neck. They were refracting moonlight. Her nose nuzzled his as he inhaled her sweet scent; she was intoxicating him with her proximity. As her hands hooked around his neck, her lips trailed his jawline and when they met his ear, she whispered, "Walter, just let go. It's okay; I'm not going anywhere."

Finally he spoke. "I don't know how to let go."

"Then we'll go slow," she purred in his ear, sending shivers down his spine. She found his lips again and gently massaged them with hers. His lips loosened a little to her soft ministrations and then he started slowly reciprocating her kisses. She pulled away slightly and smiled. "Will that be okay with you?"

"Yes." Walter answered quickly, causing Paige to laugh.

"Anxious are we?" Paige's hands melted against his cheeks. "Just wait until there's tongue involved," Paige winked. Walter's eyes widened, and his body started to freeze up again as her words registered within his mind.

"Hey," Paige ran her thumbs against his cheekbones; he loosened from her touch and her velvety voice. "One step at a time, okay?"

Walter gulped and nodded. "Okay." Walter would be lying to himself if he said he hadn't made out with women before. He had, several times. But it was different with Paige. Everything he had ever experienced with women paled in comparison to the few kisses he had shared with the women currently cupping his face. It was almost like he was experiencing "romance" for the first time all over again. He wanted to do things right by Paige; he couldn't help the fact that every time her palms caressed his skin or when her lips pressed against his lips, he would forget how to function. And he didn't understand why; it was something he would have to analyze later.

"Good." Paige muttered as she drew him in for another chaste kiss. "Oh, and Walter?" Paige pulled back once more, wearing a smile across her face.

"Hm?"

She kissed him once. Twice. And then whispered, "I think I'm falling in love with you too," before pulling him down to kiss him again. And in that moment, Walter knew he had achieved the perfection he was seeking.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Awwwwwwwww! Sorry it took a few days to update. I was kind of struggling with this chapter. I wanted it to reflect Walter's awkwardness so what I had originally planned for the ending part of the chapter didn't happen. I figured it would make more sense for Walter to have Paige read his notes than for him to verbalize his feelings for her. I basically have to be like: Okay! In a normal situation…WHAT would normal guys do? And then I would be like: Okay! If that's what normal guys do…then that's NOT what Walter's going to do! _

_It's a pretty hefty process I have to go through. _

_-_-; _

_The reason I made Walter so awkward with Paige at the end was because he is known to not handle physical interactions very well. While I am pretty sure women have kissed him before (example: Simone), I don't think Walter responded to them very well. That's why I think he's had such bad luck with women that he felt it was necessary to end the relationship after three months. This is just my opinion, but I think Walter's past girlfriends were only a part of his life for mere sexual release. Ending his relationships after 3 months did these women a favor (at least the woman in the pilot). I also think his past girlfriends didn't have the same temperament as Paige. I see Paige as patient and willing to help Walter out by only doing what is comfortable to Walter (in my story, anyway). At the end of the chapter, she realizes that full-blown French kissing might be a little too much for his mind to handle so she respects his comfort zone. I honestly thought about having Walter lose control at the end of the chapter, but I figured that was what normal guys would do…. So I decided to write the opposite for Walter. _

_**One last thing**__:_

_To the user who asked if I could add an M rated chapter in this story: My answer is no. While I have written steamy material for my BATB fanfictions, I refuse to write (or at least graphically write) M-rated romance between Walter and Paige. They have barely scratched a dent with their relationship on TV, and I want to respect that in my story as well. While M-rated themes 'may' be implicitly included (meaning, only mentioned or hinted through context), it will not be written in graphic detail. Without seeing "that" on TV between Walter and Paige, it will be too weird for me to write. I hope you can understand. Besides, even if I did include an M-rated chapter (which I'm not), it will be a long while before Walter & Paige are comfortable with such a relationship- and life-changing decision. _

_-X-x-X-_

_Anyway, more to come!_


	18. Chapter 18

**WriterFreak001: **

Thank you for all of your support so far! I am glad that many agree with my decision about the M-rated stuff. I apologize to anybody who was hoping for Waige smut…. It isn't going to happen in this story (or for any story I write for Scorpion). I just find it too weird to write it when "that" hasn't even happened on the TV show. If it does ever happen on TV, _maaaaayyyybeeeee _in a different story, but definitely not this one! So if you are looking for smut, I advise you to read other stories written by other people because you won't find it in this one.

Happy New Year! (I might not be able to post another chapter until after the New Year).

PS. I got my sister into Scorpion so hopefully she'll begin watching the new episodes once they start up this coming Monday. I am also going to binge-watch the last 12 (maybe 13) episodes of Scorpion with my friend in the next two weeks because I have piqued her interest. Hopefully she'll love the show too! :)

**To the User who asked about the conference: **I mentioned this before in a previous chapter, but in case you did not see it, I made a note saying that the "conference" with the teacher happened during the time-lapse. There _may _be another conference later down the road, but for now, there isn't going to be one.

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 18**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

As the limousine pulled up to Paige's apartment complex, Walter noticed Cabe's squad car sitting in one of the parking spaces. He assumed Cabe had brought Ralph back to the apartment since the observatory closed at ten. It was now nearing midnight. Once the limousine was parked, Walter watched Paige as she unbuckled herself. She rose to her feet and began to crawl her way towards the door when she turned around and looked at him. "What?" He gulped. "Did you forget something?"

She laughed and made her way back over to him. "As a matter of fact, I did."

"What?" He said as he started looking around the vehicle for anything she might have dropped. Then he spotted the champagne. He picked it up and handed it to her. "This?"

"You're too funny," Paige giggled as she bent down lower until her nose was leveled with his. She looked down and unbuckled his seatbelt before grabbing his hand. "Come on."

"Okay." Walter didn't argue as she pulled him out of the vehicle. Remembering that Cabe's car was parked a few cars to the right of the limousine, he stopped walking, causing Paige to stop as well. Before he gave her a chance to say anything, he released her hand and made his way over to the passenger-side window of the limousine. He knocked on it and gestured for Ryder (he finally learned the driver's name) to roll it down.

"What?" he seemed annoyed; Walter couldn't blame him. He and Paige kept him waiting for nearly ninety minutes after their discussion had ended.

"Your services are no longer required." Walter said before walking back towards Paige. He figured Cabe could drop him off at the garage on his way back home; it was the most efficient method seeing as the garage was on the way to Cabe's apartment. It did not make sense to have a limousine driver go out of the way just to drop Walter off at the garage. That was absolutely ludicrous and unnecessary. Absurd.

Paige laced her fingers with his when he was beside her again. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes." Walter nodded as they started walking towards the apartment complex. When they reached the floor of her apartment, Walter started walking towards her apartment door when Paige took an abrupt left, dragging him along with her into a dark corridor. "This isn't the way to your apartment," Walter said as he stretched his neck to his right to see if there was someone unwanted (namely Drew) in the hallway where Paige's apartment door was located. It was empty.

"I know," Paige laughed as she slithered her hands around his neck; his body shuddered from the softness of her fingers.

"Then why are we here?" Walter asked, still looking around the corner, wondering if Paige had seen something he didn't.

Her palm found his cheek and guided his face back towards her. "I wanted to be alone with you for a few extra minutes before returning to my apartment." Paige explained with a smile. "I saw Cabe's car too, Walter. If Cabe's here, then Ralph is here too."

"And that's a bad thing?" Walter raised an eyebrow, causing Paige to laugh as she rubbed her nose against his.

"Only when all I want to do is this," she muttered as she brought her lips to his. After a few kisses, she pulled back slightly and gazed into his eyes. "A few minutes. I promise. Is that all right with you?"

Walter felt a little conflicted. While he was extremely flattered that Paige wanted to share a few more minutes with him, he knew it was more prudent for them to return to Paige's apartment and relieve Cabe of his babysitting duties – especially if they didn't want their "few minutes" to easily turn into a "few hours." And with how slowly he and Paige had kissed at the park and in the limousine, he could kiss her for hours and lose all sense of time and place within her arms. He still didn't understand it (in all actuality, he really didn't understand _any _of the emotions he had felt during his date with Paige) and determined he would analyze them later after collecting more data and observations.

Walter pulled out his phone, knowing Paige was watching his every move. He set a timer for three minutes, causing Paige to laugh and shake her head slowly. "You are something else, Walter O'Brien," Paige whispered before pulling him in for a series of short, chaste kisses. He popped one eye open as his lips innocently played with hers and glanced at his phone before pressing the START button. He wasn't joking around when he had set the timer.

Three long, pleasurable minutes passed, and when Walter felt his phone buzz inside his pocket, he wasn't ready to take her back to her apartment. Without her knowledge, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, popped an eye open again and reset the timer before placing it back into his pocket. He wasn't worried about her hearing the vibration; her senses were a _little_ too preoccupied at the moment. Sixty-seven seconds later, she pulled away and leaned her forehead against his as her hands fell from his neck and interlocked with his fingers.

"We should probably go now," she whispered as her eyes fluttered open and found his gaze.

He pulled out his phone and flashed the screen towards her. "The timer is still going."

Paige smiled as she kissed him once more. The timer buzzed within his hand as Paige's lips trailed across his jawline. Then her lips met his ear. "I know what you did," she whispered.

"Y-you do?" Walter gulped; his body grew rigid as Paige kissed him underneath his earlobe.

"Uh-huh." Her lips found his ear again; her hot breath tickled his ear and set shivers down his spine. The things this woman did to him! She pulled away from his ear and playfully pushed his chest into the wall behind him as she started to leave the darkened hallway. Before he could stop himself, his hand grabbed her arm and gently tugged her back into the corridor.

"What do think I did?" Walter asked her as he released her arm.

Paige laughed. "Is that why you wheeled me back here?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Why else?"

Paige cupped his face with a giggle. "Has anyone ever told you how adorably awkward you are?"

"No?" Walter raised an eyebrow. "I've been told I'm clueless about romantic endeavors, but until now, I can't think of an instance when "adorably" and "awkward" were used in the same sentence."

"Trust me, Walter," Paige hooked her arms around his neck. "You may be a lot of things when it comes to romance, but you're not clueless. _Slow_, maybe," she kissed him again, "but not clueless."

Walter gave her a look of disbelief. He, too, believed he was naive when it came to romantic endeavors. He had no tact (_that_, he was very much aware of), women had mostly found him dull and boring (he couldn't help the fact that they weren't enabled like him) and he was very uncomfortable with physical contact (however, he could see how Paige was helping him in that department). Whether he believed it or not, things were much easier and simpler when he didn't care about the women he had dated. But would he go back and erase everything he had experienced with Paige? Absolutely not. While his "romantic" life was easier before Paige had entered his life, he preferred challenges – and Paige certainly was a challenge to him.

For once in his life, he wanted more than just sexual release. He didn't want to treat Paige like he did his past girlfriends – if she even _is _considered his girlfriend, that is. She didn't deserve that lack of respect (and yes, he admitted to himself that he had disrespected his past girlfriends by using them like tools as opposed to seeing them as people). Paige was a different story; she had intrigued him the moment he met her in the diner. He could hardly call it love at first sight, but he did admire the way she attempted to connect with her son. He hardly understood _why _he feels the way he does around Paige, but he didn't fight it. He didn't _want _to fight it. He just wanted to understand it. Through Paige, he believed would one day be able to help him figure everything out.

"Walter," she whispered, bringing him back to reality. His eyes met hers. "I told you earlier that you shouldn't be ashamed of whom you are, and I meant it; don't sell yourself short either, Walter. You have more romantic bones in your body then you think you do." Paige pressed her cheek against his chest and hugged him. His arms remained by his sides. For a minute, they stood in complete darkness as she held him. Then she backed away and met his eyes. She cupped his face again as he avoided her dark brown eyes.

"Look at me, Walter." Her voice was frank. When he didn't look at her, she spoke anyway. "I know you have insecurities about relationships, Walter. Believe me, I know. I have them too. You mentioned how this relationship – what we have – frightens you, Walter. _Believe _me, I'm freaked out too. After Drew, I never thought I could ever feel so crazy about someone again. I thought Drew was it, and when _that _relationship failed, I barely had any hope for another one. I tried for Ralph's sake because I knew how important it was for him to have a father figure in his life, but whenever I introduced my so-called boyfriends to Ralph, they ran with their tails between their legs. Even though you adore Ralph," Walter finally met her eyes, "it doesn't mean I'm not scared of losing you. Like you, I – Ralph and I – cannot fathom a future without you in it.

"But," she smiled and kissed his lips softly, "at the end of the day, I remind myself that _you _are nothing like the other guys I've dated. And thank _God_ you're nothing like Drew either. What I'm trying to say is…, I'm not like the other women you've dated either. So don't assume I have the same expectations or thought process as them; because I don't. And _who _cares if they told you that you're not romantic; as far as I'm concerned," Paige smiled, "you are every sense of the word. Sure, you respond differently than normal guys; that's okay. We can work on them together. Okay?" Even in darkness, he could tell how close she was to him. She was a mere breath away.

"Okay." Walter nodded.

"Good." Paige mumbled before kissing him once. Twice. Three times for good measure. "Oh and Walter?"

"What?"

"It's been ten minutes," Paige laughed as she slid her arms away from his neck and grabbed his hand before pulling him back into the hallway towards her apartment door.

Paige released Walter's hand and searched through her purse for her apartment key. Once she found it, she unlocked the door, and it clicked open. As she walked inside, Walter followed her, and they found Ralph asleep on the couch with Cabe fiddling with his phone. Cabe looked up and grinned. He hopped off of the bar stool he had been sitting in and made his way over to them.

"He wanted to wait up for the two of you to come home, but I don't think he realized how much that trip to the observatory wore him out." Cabe chuckled as Paige slipped past him to tend to Ralph. Walter watched her as she picked him up into her arms and carried him to his bedroom in the back of the apartment. He decided to give the mother and son some space - especially when he noticed Cabe staring at him. Walter ignored Cabe's curious gaze as he walked over to Paige's counter and placed the long-forgotten bottle of champagne down. Cabe casually sidestepped towards Walter and chuckled.

"What?"

"I take it you two figured things out?" Cabe couldn't stop laughing.

"Yes." Walter blinked. "I don't see what's so funny."

"I'm gonna be nice and do you a favor, kid." Cabe said as he took a step backwards and crossed his arms in front of him. Walter looked at Cabe and waited for the Homeland Security agent to finish his statement. "Unless you want Toby to ruin your parade when you get back to the garage tonight, I suggest you go to the bathroom and clean your face. You're _covered _in lipstick!"

Walter processed Cabe's advice and before Cabe could say anything else, Walter bolted for the bathroom. He saw his reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized himself; it was a rare site indeed for Walter O'Brien's face to be smothered with red lip prints. _Paige's _red lip prints. He also noticed how ruffled his hair was and recalled every moment when Paige's fingers curled and twisted within his hair. He was grateful for Cabe's suggestion even if he was slightly embarrassed that Cabe had to see him so…disoriented. Had _Toby _seen him like that, the behaviorist would _never _let Walter _nor _Paige live to forget it.

Walter turned on the water and splashed his face. He looked into the mirror, and the lipstick smudges were still very present. He walked over to the bathtub and saw an assortment of toiletries. He assumed the bathroom was commonly used by Ralph as he didn't think Paige would use Loreal Kids shampoo for her hair. He found Ralph's face wash (or at least, he assumed it was Ralph's through deductive reasoning) and pumped some of the soap into his hands. Then he walked back to the sink and lathered his hands up before scrubbing his face with the face wash. Then he splashed his face again with cold water to rinse off the soap. He glanced back at the mirror and found no trace of lipstick on him anymore. Good. He dabbed his face with a towel and left the bathroom to find a barefooted Paige and Cabe talking in the kitchen area.

"So, just curious," Paige said as she saw him making his way towards her. She kept most of her attention on Cabe, though. "How did you manage to get in? I don't have a spare hidden anywhere."

Cabe smiled and laughed. "Well," he pulled out his badge and tossed it into the air, "when you've got one of these puppies on ya, people are willing to do just about anything for ya. When the landlord wouldn't let me in for whatever reason, I had to _kindly _persuade him otherwise. He quickly obliged the moment I flashed my badge."

"Oh," Paige laughed. Walter couldn't help but chuckle either. Cabe's story was rather amusing. "That would do it, then."

"Yup. It would." Cabe said as he tucked his badge back into his pocket. He usually didn't have it flashing when he was off duty. "It's getting pretty late; this fella needs his beauty sleep." He pointed to himself. "I had fun with Ralph tonight, and I thank both of you for giving me the privilege to spend time with that kid. He reminds a lot of Walter when Walt was his age," Cabe patted Walter's shoulder. "In any case, I assume the two of you will be planning on a second outing sometime soon so just hit me up if you want someone to look after the boy."

"Thank you, Cabe for watching Ralph. I'm glad he enjoyed himself tonight." Paige smiled as she sifted through her purse to pull out some money. Cabe placed his hand on hers.

"Don't worry about payment. Seeing that kid smile was payment enough. Oh, and seeing that dorky grin on Walter's face as the two of you walked into the apartment was the highlight of my night." Cabe winked at Walter as he headed towards the door. "Anyway, I assume you need a ride, Walter, so I'll wait in the car as you say goodnight."

Once Cabe left the apartment, Paige's hands found Walter's. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for the night? As I recall, you find the couch pretty comfortable."

"Maybe some other night, but I don't think it's advisable tonight – especially when I have a feeling Toby, Happy and Sylvester are still waiting up for me back at the garage. If I arrive in the morning, assumptions will be made." Walter mumbled and placed a simple kiss on Paige's forehead. "Besides, I don't want my presence to confuse Ralph until we have told him the results of tonight's date."

"Which are what, exactly?" Paige raised an eyebrow.

"I thought it was obvious." Walter frowned, wondering if there was something he wasn't understanding.

"Was it?" Paige placed most of her weight upon her tiptoes as she hooked her arms around his neck.

"I'm not sure anymore." Walter said; he felt like he was getting mixed signals from Paige. She was _acting _like they were a couple, but she seemed confused as if she wasn't sure whether they were are weren't one. After all of the kissing they had shared, he thought it was pretty obvious who they were to each other. "You are confusing me with the contradictions between your words and your actions. I thought I made it very clear that," Walter licked his lips and gulped, "that I saw you as my constant. But if _that _and the kissing wasn't enough proof, is there something else I need to do to convince you who you are to me?"

Paige laughed and tightened her arms around his neck before she kissed him hard on the mouth. Walter's eyes widened and stiffened at her sudden forwardness. He could have sworn he felt her tongue swipe across his lips. She pulled away and rubbed her nose against his, bringing him back to reality. "I was just messing with you, Walter." She gave him one last chaste kiss (much simpler than the one she previously gave him) and turned him away from her. "Now, unless you want Cabe to leave you stranded outside, then I suggest you leave because once you step foot into that elevator, this door is staying locked for the rest of the night."

"Right. Cabe." Walter said; he had almost forgotten that his handler was waiting for him outside.

She gently wheeled him towards her door and when he stepped into the hallway, he turned around and found her smiling at him. "Goodnight, Walter." He couldn't find the words to say goodnight. He gulped instead. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Tomorrow. Right. Tomorrow was a Saturday. They rarely had cases on Saturdays. After he muttered a soft goodnight, she slowly closed her door. Instead of making his way to the elevator, he stood in the middle of the hallway like an idiot as he tried to wrap his mind around everything that had happened during his date with Paige. He could hardly believe it himself, but the way his lips pulsed from kissing her so many times was proof as to what had happened between them. He never really believed in love because he always deemed it as nothing more than the releasing of chemicals inside the brain, but as he stared helplessly at Paige's door, wondering what she was doing at that very moment, he was beginning to think there was much more to love than what he gave it credit for.

Then his phone rang. It was Cabe. As Walter answered it, he got an earful from the agent, telling him to get his "ass" down to the parking lot pronto if he didn't want to walk or take a cab back to the garage. Walter wasted no time scrambling towards the elevator. Once again, when he had least expected it, Paige had stolen his breath away, and he wasn't sure he wanted it back.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_I know this is a shorter chapter, but I felt like this would be a good place to stop. Next chapter will detail the team's reaction when they see Walter walking in (and yes, they ALL waited for him to return). Also, we will find out how Ralph will take the news. _

_Let me know what you think! :)_


	19. Chapter 19

**WriterFreak001: **

WHOOOT! 200 REVIEWS! THANK YOU! :) :) :)

I don't think I will be able to get another chapter up until after the New Year because I have all day plans tomorrow with my friends sooooo HAPPY NEW YEAR!

**A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: **

It has been brought to my attention that at least one user thinks Walter seems like a retard when Paige kisses him even when he has most likely kissed women before. I am not trying to convey that Walter is inexperienced; the pilot makes it clear that Walter has had at least one girlfriend before Paige. So obviously he isn't inexperienced. What I'm trying to convey is that Paige is different to Walter; she is not like the other girls he has dated in the past; therefore, it's almost like a whole new experience for him. Perhaps I didn't explain it well enough through the context of the story, but to me, Walter almost seems inexperienced with Paige because she has this ability to make him forget to think…forget to breathe…forget to function. That's why he has been freezing up a lot. It's not that he is retarded or that he is inexperienced; it's what Paige _does _to him on the inside.

I realized that the ending to the 17th chapter is a little confusing so I have altered it slightly. Please take a look either before or after reading this chapter. The alteration will not change the 18th chapter nor this one either.

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 19**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

After Cabe dropped Walter off at the Cyclone, he decided to go into the garage through the back entrance where Happy had yet to install the retina scanner. The less noise he made, the better. He snuck in through the door and crept his way towards the stairs when he noticed three pairs of eyes staring at him.

"You owe me fifty bucks." Happy said, extending her palm towards Toby. As Toby reluctantly gave Happy a fifty dollar bill, Walter glanced towards the stairs.

"Oh no you don't." Toby smirked. As they started approaching them, Walter bolted for the stairs, but he didn't anticipate the strand of packing tape that was stretched across the width of the staircase. Before he knew it, he stumbled forward but managed to catch himself with his hands before face-planting into the steps. He pushed himself back up and turned around to see Toby and Happy fistbumping each other. "You can try running all you want, Walt," Toby chuckled. "But Happy and I booby-trapped the garage while you were out."

"I told them not to do it, Walter, but they insisted." Sylvester twirled his thumbs and took a step back from the other two.

"Deny it all you want, Sly, but I saw you laughing a few seconds ago." Toby back-stepped towards Sylvester and patted the human calculator on the back.

"It _was _pretty funny." Happy folded her arms in front of her as Walter bent down to detach the tape from the banisters. "Face it, Walt," Happy said as she helped him, "When you live with a crazy shrink and come home from a date with a co-worker, you can't expect Toby to sit around and ignore it."

"I could expect an antic like this from Toby," Walter frowned, "but I didn't think _you'd _stoop to his level too. Only you would have the skill to design a booby-trap simple enough to go unnoticed yet complex enough to work."

"Please, Walter." Happy frowned. "Wrapping tape at the bottom of the stairs to serve as tripping wire is a no-brainer. It required no skill, Walt." Meaning, if she wanted to, she could have designed a worse way to keep Walter from going up the stairs. Something more painful, perhaps.

"Okay. That may be true, but why help Toby?" Walter crossed his arms in front of him.

"I was bored," she shrugged.

"Happy, you're never bored." Walter raised an eyebrow; usually the mechanic had _something _to smash or rebuild.

"There's a first time for everything," she said as she crumpled up the tape and tossed it into the trashcan. "The shrink can be eccentric at times, but when he asked me to help him devise a plan to keep you from scurrying to your room like a little chipmunk, I couldn't say no to _that _challenge."

"She says that now," Toby walked up to them, "But what she really means is that she couldn't resist me." He winked at Happy.

"Stuff it, grandpa." Happy rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I didn't tape your mouth shut. I was tempted."

"Tape my lips with yours?" Toby teased as Happy grimaced.

"Don't push it, Sigmund Freud." Happy shook her head as she retreated towards her workstation.

"She's so hot." Toby mumbled, and Walter could have sworn he saw Happy smirk in the distance. "Anyway, enough about _my _fantasies, how was your date?"

"You know I don't like it when you psychoanalyze me, Toby." Walter changed the subject.

"And you're deflecting." Toby noted. "So either your date went exponentially well, or it absolutely sucked. Considering the fact that I don't see our EQ liaison – wait, are you blushing? You're blushing, Walter. Hey Happy!" Toby called out behind him. "Walter's blushing!"

"Good for him!" Happy replied as she continued to work.

"Out of my way, Toby." Walter lightly pushed him aside as he started walking up the stairs.

"You want to trip again, Walter? Because if you keep walking up those stairs, you'll find plenty more booby-traps in your wake." Toby chuckled. "Only Happy and I know where they are located so if you don't want to inconveniently find Silver Nitrate falling on your crotch anytime soon, I suggest you twirl around and tell us – mainly me – what happened tonight."

Walter frowned. "It's none of your business."

"That's what I told him!" Happy and Sylvester called out together. "I may have played a part of his little game scheme, but I have no interest in knowing anything about your love life, Walt." Happy added.

"You guys are no fun." Toby stuck his tongue out at Happy and Sylvester before turning back towards Walter. "So. Which will it be? Silver Nitrate or Genius Confessions with Tobias Curtis?"

Walter considered the pros and the cons of the situation. Toby _could _be lying, but there was a possibility that he was telling the truth. The last thing Walter wanted was for Silver Nitrate to fall on any part of his body; Silver Nitrate bled through clothes and stained skin. But if Toby _was _lying, then Walter wouldn't have to tell him a single thing that had happened during his date with Paige. Before Walter could come to a conclusion, Sylvester jogged up to them and bent down to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry Toby. I tried doing what you asked, but my loyalty to Walter is stronger than my loyalty to you."

"Sylvester, don't you dare." Toby snapped.

Happy walked up to them and smiled. "This should be good."

"Don't encourage him!" Toby shot back at Happy.

"I'm not," Happy shook her head. "You should know better than to ask Sly to keep a secret. Secrets don't sit well with him."

"What is it, Sylvester?" Walter asked as the human calculator recovered.

Sylvester stood up straight and looked at Toby who was shaking his head violently. Then he looked at Happy who was shrugging, telling Sylvester not to look at her. Then Sylvester's eyes met Walter's. "Okay, so I was asked to keep this a secret from you in the event that you returned tonight, but seeing as you're the boss and Toby's not, I'm going to come clean."

"Sly…," Toby glared at him and mumbled. "Ixnay on the alkingtay!"

"Go on, Sylvester." Walter smiled.

"Happy and Toby only set up one trap, and that was the tape you had tripped over. There are no other booby-traps! I swear!" Sylvester exclaimed in one breath.

"You fold faster than an accordion." Toby muttered toward Sylvester. Walter raised an eyebrow at the behaviorist. "What?" He exclaimed as he threw his arms into the air. "So I wanted to have a little bit of fun; that's all! I admit, I exaggerated a little bit when I mentioned Silver Nitrate, but you can't blame the behaviorist in me to be curious about your limited EQ romantic endeavors with Paige!" Toby's words started to fade away as Walter's mind began to remember the way Paige grabbed him and pulled him into that darkened hallway. He remembered the way she kissed him and could still feel his lips pulsing. "Hello? Are you listening to me, Walt?"

Walter blinked. "Hm?"

"I was talking. I said your name three times."

"Oh. Right. Whatever you say." Walter said before circling around Toby to head up the stairs.

"'Whatever you say?' That's all you're going to say? No lash-outs? No genius pep talks nor telling me to get out of your face?" Toby called up the stairs, but Walter ignored him. Without the team's knowledge, Walter stood a few feet from the onning to listen in on Toby, curious as to what the behaviorist had deduced. He heard Toby chuckled.

"What's up, doc?" Happy asked.

"I'll tell you what's up, Bugs Bunny." Toby quipped before answering Happy's question. "Mr. 197 is what I'd like to call whipped. Head over heels, you know? I know it's usual for Walt to zone out from time to time, but I could tell his mind was somewhere else other than inside his head tonight."

"You might be right," Happy agreed. "Because he _definitely _didn't notice the sign I had placed on the back door."

"What did it say?" Toby asked.

Walter glanced over the onning and saw Happy shrug. "Don't forget to watch your step when you walk up the stairs?"

"That was generous of you." Toby seemed impressed. "Even when you tried to spoil my plans, it still seemed to work out in my favor."

"Don't get too cocky, doc." Happy said before she disappeared from Walter's line of sight.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Toby called back as he looked back up the stairs. Walter backed up slowly, hoping the shrink didn't see him.

"By the way," Happy suddenly said, walking back towards Toby. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to embarrass Walt or anything, but if it makes you sleep at night, I did notice a smudge of lipstick underneath Walt's ear. I think he forgot to wipe it off because the rest of his face seemed clean."

Walter rubbed the skin under his ear and could feel Paige's sticky lipstick still present. He saw Toby's smile grin from ear to ear.

**~ SCORPION ~**

As expected, Walter did not sleep very well; his mind wasn't focused on algorithms like it usually was when he was restless; it was trying to analyze everything he had felt when he was with Paige during their date. By eight in the morning, he slipped out of bed, took a shower and dressed for the day. As he made his way to the stairs, he looked over the onning and saw Toby interacting with Ralph. Sylvester was at his desk, munching on a piece of toast. As he made his way down the steps, He saw Happy to his left, pouring herself a bowl of cereal. He looked to his right and found Cabe sitting on the sofa, talking to Paige.

"Why, if it isn't Mr. Ray of Sunshine." Toby smirked as Walter descended the stairs. Walter ignored Toby's comment and glanced over at Paige before making his way over to Ralph. "Care for some friendly advice?" Toby asked as Walter ruffled Ralph's hair.

"No." Walter answered quickly.

"Come on, Walt. I swear! It's a _paige_-turner." Toby winked.

"Save your silver tongue for someone who cares." Happy sniped at Toby.

"And here I was thinking you and I had a moment last night," Toby said as he looked at Happy. He squinted. "Hey, are you playing hard to get with me?"

"No. I'm being realistic. It's barely 8:15 in the morning, and you're already trying to psychoanalyze Walter." Happy said before spooning some cereal into her mouth. "I went easy on you last night, but give him a break. Besides, doc; you're a shrink; you should be able to figure out that Walt isn't in the mood to talk with you. If you want to psychoanalyze someone so badly, go visit one of your porno websites; I'm sure there's loads of sob-stories you can interpret from there."

"You insulting me is such a turn on." Toby smiled; "Since you asked _nicely_, I'll leave Mr. 197 alone for now, but he won't be able to escape my powers of persuasion for long, though. It's only a matter of time."

"Whatever you say, doc." Happy muttered as she disappeared into her workspace.

As Toby walked over to the kitchen to pour himself a bowl of cereal, Walter looked over at Happy and muttered a thanks. She gave him a thumbs up before he turned to Ralph. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Ralph shook his head. "No."

"What about your mother?" Walter inquired.

"Not yet." Ralph replied as Paige and Cabe made their way over to them.

"Why don't the three of you go to Denny's for breakfast?" Cabe jammed his hands into his pockets. "I'll make sure everyone else behaves while you're gone."

"What if there's a case?" Walter asked as Paige reached down and grabbed Ralph's hand.

"You know how to use a cellphone, right?" Cabe smirked as he patted Walter's shoulder.

"Don't insult me."

"Then don't act so stupid," Cabe teased as he walked towards the kitchen. Walter turned around to correct the agent, but Paige laughed as she placed her palm on his shoulder and told him to leave it alone. Walter nodded and spun back around. Then he bent down until he was leveled with Ralph's height.

"So does Denny's sound good to you, Ralph?"

"Yeah," Ralph beamed at Walter.

"Okay," Walter stood up as Ralph took his hand. "And while we're waiting for our food, you and I could play some chess with the condiments. How does that sound?"

"Can't wait!" Ralph exclaimed and ran for the door, causing both Paige and Walter to laugh.

"Now if you can get him _that _excited to eat his vegetables, I'll be even _more _impressed." Paige said as she wrapped her arm around his.

"The best I can do is tell him the nutritional gain when eating vegetables, but if he doesn't like them, he doesn't like them. There's not much I can do to change someone's food preferences. I may be a genius, but I'm not a magician." Walter replied as they made their way outside, finding Ralph waiting next to Paige's Chevy.

"The best you can do is try," Paige smiled before releasing Walter to help Ralph into the car. Once they were all buckled in and the doors were closed, Walter pulled out into the alleyway and merged into traffic, heading for Denny's.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

Paige couldn't help but smile as she watched Walter and Ralph play Chess while using the condiments like the first time Walter had met her son. She didn't think Walter was serious, but the moment after the waitress left to place their order, Walter began setting up the non-existent Chessboard. She didn't care that people were watching them; Walter and Ralph didn't seem to care so why should she?

Three minutes after they started the game, Walter made a move and then said, "Checkmate." Ralph first looked at Paige and then looked at Walter. It was clear he wanted to challenge Walter again. Walter laughed. "Perhaps we'll use a _real _board when we get back to the garage."

"Okay." Ralph smiled. Paige bent over and kissed the top of his head.

"His skill is certainly improving. He may be capable of beating Sylvester, and if given time," Walter smiled at Ralph, "he might be able to beat me one day."

"Has anyone ever beaten you at Chess before?" Paige asked after taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Once, but it wasn't because I miscalculated a move or made an error. I allowed myself to lose." Walter replied. Paige could tell his smile was forced.

"Were you challenging your sister?" Paige asked as her hand squeezed his under the table.

"Yes." Walter nodded. "It was a few weeks after she was diagnosed with MS. She couldn't leave the house until her immune system recovered from when she fell ill. Since her immune system went on overdrive trying to fight off the virus, it was weakened for several weeks. To pass the time, I taught her how to play chess, and a few days later, I made the impulse decision to let her win in the event that something would happen to her."

"That was sweet of you." Paige muttered. "Does she know that you let her win?"

"No. And she's not going to find out." Walter replied as their waiter returned with a round trey of hot food. She placed the Veggie Omelet in front of Paige, the plate of pancakes in front of Ralph and the Breakfast Burrito on top of Walter's placemat. Paige had remembered that Walter had ordered the burrito the last time the team went to Denny's.

They spent the first few minutes of eating in silence, and then Paige felt like it was time to tell Ralph that she and Walter considered themselves _more than friends_. It felt very surreal to call Walter her boyfriend, but he _had_ called her his constant the night before. Just as she was about to say something, Walter beat her to the chase.

"So, Ralph, what did you enjoy most at the observatory last night?" Walter asked, causing Paige to smile.

"Looking at the stars," Ralph replied before stabbing his fork into another cut piece of his pancake. "While Cabe had only managed to identify two constellations, I found seven."

"Oh really? What were they?"

"Gemini, Orion, Cetus, Pisces, Pegasus, Ursa Minor, and Lepus." Ralph answered softly. "My favorite one was Orion because he's considered a hunter; Scorpion hunts too."

Walter smiled; his smile warmed Paige's heart. "July is a _great _time to observe the night sky; that's when the constellation Scorpius is present in Los Angeles. You'd like to see that one, wouldn't you?"

Ralph beamed as his eyes lit up. "Yeah!"

"Well, we could either go to the observatory during that time of year, or we could use the telescope your mom bought you several weeks ago and observe from the roof instead. Though, if you want a better chance to see Scorpius without the constant distraction of light pollution, I'd recommend the observatory." Walter said before taking a bite out of his burrito.

"Can we do both?" Ralph asked as he first glanced up at Paige and then looked over to Walter.

"You know what? _That _is a _great_ idea." Walter grinned as he reached over the table and ruffled Ralph's hair. "I bet your mom would enjoy the observatory too." He added as his eyes met Paige's. "Would you like that, Ralph?"

Ralph nodded his head quickly.

"Thought you would." Walter held up his fist in front of Ralph, and the boy bumped it in return. Paige laughed at the interaction.

"Ralph, sweetie, remember when I asked you if I could let Walter read your writing assignment yesterday?" Paige's fingers combed Ralph's hair as her son nodded in response. "Well, he _read _it last night."

Ralph's shot towards Walter's. "He did?"

Walter nodded. "I did. It was an exceptional piece; you deserved the grade you received for it. I was very flattered, Ralph, and it takes a lot to flatter me."

"Honey," Paige kissed the top of Ralph's head and pulled him close to her as she lowered her lips to his ear. "What do you remember when I told you I had broken up with Toenail Tom about three years ago?"

"You told me he was mean to you; that _they _were all mean to you. So you made a promise that no matter what happened, it would always be just the two of us." Ralph replied without looking at Paige.

"That's right; I did say that. Would you be mad if I said I wanted to break that promise?" Paige felt Walter's eyes staring at her as she tried to help her son understand that she and Walter were together now.

"No." Ralph shook his head. "The promise was already broken when we became part of the Scorpion family. Therefore, I can't be mad. The dynamics have changed since that promise was made."

Paige smiled as she recognized how true her son's statement was. She found herself almost speechless. "You're right," Paige kissed Ralph's cheek. "You're absolutely right." She pulled him in for a side hug.

"What your mother means to say," Walter chimed in, "the dynamics are going to change even more. Do you understand?"

"How?" Ralph asked; then he whipped his head around and looked at his mother. "A-are we moving again?!" Paige sensed fear behind his words.

"No, sweetie. We're not moving away; I promise. Why would you think that?" Paige asked her son, knowing Walter would want to know why Ralph would think such a thing as well.

"Dad was mad the other night. He made you cry; the last time he made you cry, we left for a few days; then we went back home because you said we had nowhere else to go." Ralph explained softly.

"You were barely two when that happened." Paige pulled slightly away from her son. "You remember that?"

"Yes." Ralph nodded.

"Look at me, honey," Paige said as she called for Ralph's attention. The boy twisted his body slightly and faced his mother. She could tell Walter's eyes were watching her too. "I _promise_ you we aren't leaving. Like you said in your assignment, we have a bigger family now. We _have _a place to go – a safe haven. Understand?"

Ralph nodded. "I understand."

"Good." Paige kissed Ralph's nose and then pulled him in for another tight hug. "Do you want to listen to what Walter has to say now?"

"Yes." Ralph said as he turned to look at Walter.

"You and your mother will _always _have a place in Scorpion." Walter continued, "When I said the dynamics were going to change, I should have been more specific, and for that error, I apologize immensely." Walter paused as Paige noticed her son recognizing Walter's apology. "Do _you _remember the night your mother fell asleep on the couch while you were playing video games with Toby – the night I told you that your mother was a valuable variable to the team?"

"Yeah," Ralph nodded. "I corrected you; I told you I saw my mom as the team's constant, and you agreed."

"That's right. I definitely did agree." Walter smiled. Paige saw his eyes meet hers again. "But she's more than that now."

Paige's heart melted as he continued to gaze at her. Paige reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his; to her surprise, he twisted his palm upwards and squeezed her fingers in response. Their conjoined hands did not go unnoticed by Ralph.

"More?"

Walter nodded as Paige couldn't tear her eyes off of him. She didn't understand how _anybody _would think Walter was clueless about romance; the way he stared at her with so much intensity was enough to set her body aflame. He also paid a lot of attention to her whenever they spoke; Walter valued her opinion, and even though he didn't like what she had to say at times, he still listened to her. And he was the most candid person she had ever met. She also loved the way he described her the night before as well as how he was helping Ralph understand their decision to commence a relationship. He used words that no other _normal _guy ever used; he compared her dress to stardust; he admitted how lost he became whenever he gazed into her eyes.

And the way he had called her his constant? There were no words to describe how special Paige felt when she had first read Walter's sixth observation. A constant, to Paige, was leagues above the term 'girlfriend.' To her, the word, 'boyfriend,' didn't do Walter any justice either. He was much, much more than a boyfriend to her. To Paige, 'boyfriend' meant betrayal, distrust and coward. Walter did not fit _any _of those terms. She wished Walter could see just how beautiful she thought his language was; it was enticing and the way he spoke to her always sent shivers down her spine.

"Ralph," Walter leaned forward, hovering over his forgotten burrito. "Your mother isn't _just _Scorpion's constant. She's also _mine_."

Paige nearly lost her resolve as to how possessive Walter's words were. _His_. She was _his_. That thought made her heart pump faster. She felt the hotness in her cheeks too.

Ralph smiled. "Yeah. She's _that_, too."

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

After Walter, Paige and Ralph returned to the garage, they found the space empty. Walter then spotted a note taped on his desk. It was from Cabe. Walter read it quickly and chuckled. He needed to remind himself to thank Cabe later.

"Where is everyone?" Paige asked as Ralph ran straight to Proton Arnold. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her cheek against the side of his arm. He welcomed her company by snaking his arm around her shoulders. Walter didn't understand why or how, but he felt as though his physical reactions around Paige were naturalizing. He felt more at ease in her presence than when he did a few weeks ago. Walter pointed towards the note and read it out loud, impersonating Cabe's voice, causing Paige to laugh.

"'Thought you could use some privacy when you returned so I apprehended the rest of the team for a bogus case. You should have a few hours before they figure out they were punked. Now don't you ever say I don't do anything for you, Walter. Enjoy your Toby-free hours off!'"

"That was sweet of him," Paige muttered as they walked over to the sofa. Walter sat down first and then Paige sat down right next to him; she brought his arm over her shoulders as she laid her head against his collarbone. He turned his head slightly and pecked her forehead. Her fingers found his free hand as she pushed herself upwards and kissed his cheek before nestling back down against him.

"Who's Toenail Tom?" Walter finally asked; the name had been floating inside his mind ever since she had said it.

Paige laughed, "Just an ex-boyfriend. No one special."

"Why the nickname?"

"He was obsessed with filing his toenails." Paige shrugged. "Ralph didn't like any of the guys I dated so he created nicknames for them. Toenail Tom was the last guy I dated before I met you."

"A guy who had a smooth toenail fetish." Walter stated as he tried to imagine why _anybody _would obsess over something so…peculiar. "Wow. That's um…that's _really _weird."

"I'm glad you think so too." Paige muttered before pulling in for a few, short, chaste kisses. Then Walter froze when he remembered something. Paige pulled away and raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Walter?"

"No. Not really." Walter shook his head.

"Then what is it?" she chuckled.

His face hardened as he pushed himself forward. "Megan wanted me to tell her about our date. She said she wanted a full status report by the next day." He turned to face Paige. "It's the next day." Walter pulled out his phone and noted the time. 10:47 AM. He showed the time to Paige. She smiled.

"Well, we could leave now and head for the hospital, _or _we could stay, _enjoy _the Toby-free silence Cabe so kindly gave to us for as long as we can and _then _go visit your sister." Paige suggested as she sat up and hooked her arm around his.

Walter considered Paige's suggestion very carefully. Leaving as soon as possible would be the most efficient answer, but the last time he was hurried to rush off somewhere (Walter recalled the moment in the park where Paige grabbed his arm and pulled over towards the tree), Paige dragged him back, not wanting to depart yet. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the second option would be more efficient because (1) they would be using a Toby-free garage to their advantage, (2) the first option would only lead to Paige dragging him back again and (3) more people visited the hospital during the late morning hours. He would much rather avoid wasting time while trying to find a place to park at the hospital. "We'll stay here for now." Walter replied as he leaned back into the sofa.

"Good." Paige winked as her lips found his.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Toby's POV**

"I can't believe you set us up!" Toby griped at Cabe as they all hopped out of the van. "Three months of trust gone down the drain. Just. Like. That." Toby tisked.

"Get over it, hotshot. I was doing a friend a favor." Cabe rolled his eyes.

"Let me get this straight. You _had _me freakin' psychoanalyze twelve senior citizens with Alzheimer's, claiming that _one _of them was supposedly guilty of some crime that happened in 1945 for the sake of a friendly favor? Am I missing something?" Toby raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, don't look at me," Cabe shrugged. "It's not _my _fault you didn't realize I had taken you to a home for Alzheimer's patients."

Toby turned towards Happy and Sylvester. "Were you guys in on this?!"

"Guilty." Sylvester took a step backwards. "Glad _that's _off my chest now."

"I found Cabe's plan intriguing." Happy gave Toby a small smile. "It _was _quite enjoyable to watch you squirm as you shrinkified those old farts and hags – especially when cat-lover lady thought you were her husband and planted one on ya. What was even funnier? Her husband was sitting right next to her."

"_That_ never happened." Toby deadpanned.

"Oh, but it did." Happy smirked. "Come Sly, let's help Cabe unload the trunk."

"Okay." Sylvester nodded as he followed Happy towards the back of the van.

"You gonna help?" Cabe asked Toby.

"Nope. Cuz I'm mad at you." Toby frowned.

"You're a shrink; you should have been able to figure it out a lot sooner than you did." Cabe shrugged again.

"I was having…an off day. I'm allowed." Toby stated quickly before heading for the front door. "And now I'm going to go get hammered." Toby scanned his eye into the retina scanner; when he heard the door unlock, he pulled the door open and popped into the garage.

What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. Walter and Paige were making out right in front of him! Well, sort of. No tongue seemed to be involved, but there was a lot more action on Walter's part than he ever anticipated. He glanced over at Ralph. The boy was too engrossed in Proton Arnold to know what dirty deeds his mother was doing to Walter on the couch.

Toby grinned. "Well, this day just keeps getting better and better!"

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

_Well…that was fun to write! :D _

_Part of me feels like I made Toby a little childish, but the other part of me feels as though Toby is a little bit childish at times. There were some brief Quintis moments in here so I hope Quintis fans enjoyed them. :) _

_Let me know what you think!_


	20. Chapter 20

**WriterFreak001: **

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's almost Scorpion Monday! :D

Thank you for all of the reviews so far! :) I can't believe I'm already at 20 chapters! O_O Wowwww! I remember where I was when I started this baby! And look how it's grown!

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 20**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

**_Fifteen Minutes Prior to Toby's Intrusion…_**

As Paige's lips feathered his jawline, Walter had the dignity to stop her from allowing her obvious sexual attraction to override her judgment. Paige was a responsible parent, and Walter did not want to be the reason she would jeopardize that reputation. When she pulled away from him, he nodded his head towards Ralph, reminding her that they were not alone. He noted how her cheeks flushed as she sank back into his embrace, pressing her temple against his chest.

They sat in silence for a minute before Paige's melodic voice danced into his ears. "I've been thinking about your offer."

"The one about moving into the garage?" Walter inquired as he watched Ralph engage in the Proton Arnold game. The kid was a natural.

"Yeah," Paige nodded in response as she forced him to look at her by gently pulling on his chin in order to guide his eyes towards hers. "Before the incident with Drew the other day, I wasn't planning on taking your offer. However, with everything that is going on with Drew, I would feel more secure if Ralph and I lived here instead of the apartment; I wouldn't want Drew to find a way to stumble into the apartment while Ralph and I were the only ones there."

"That's prudent." Walter replied softly as he collected Paige's fingers in his and brought her knuckles up to kiss them. The more _intimate _he became with Paige, the more natural and comfortable he felt around her touch.

Paige smiled and pulled herself up to his ear and whispered, "I wasn't done." Her breath did unexplainable things to his insides, and he couldn't deny the fact that he was enjoying the pleasantries he received whenever he interacted with the woman who often sent shivers down his spine.

"Is there more to your analysis?" Walter asked as he jerked his head slightly backwards to see her features. He saw a loose strand of hair framing Paige's face and determined that placing it behind her ear would be the most efficient way to hide it from sight. He wondered if she even noticed its distracting presence. Before she answered his question, Walter took it upon himself to remove the distraction, curling the strand of hair around his finger and wrapping over her ear. And for some unknown reason, he caressed her cheek, and she leaned against his hand.

"Not entirely," she laughed and placed a kiss against his palm. "There's more to my result, however." She paused briefly, and when Walter did not say anything, she continued. "While I think it's best, for Ralph's safety, to live here, I still want to keep my apartment."

Walter frowned. "I'm confused. It is physically impossible to occupy two spaces at once so there is no need for you to continue renting your apartment when you have decided to live here instead." Paige hooked her arms around his neck and pulled herself to his ear again. Her reasons danced along his eardrum, causing him to immediately rescind his statement. "On second thought," he coughed and slightly loosened his collar as he cleared his throat, "perhaps keeping your apartment _would_ serve some purpose in the future."

"I thought you might say that," Paige laughed as she leaned in to kiss him. Walter found himself weaving his fingers into her hair and cradling the back of her head as her lips touched his. She pulled away slightly and whispered, "We're not alone, remember?" as she glanced over at Ralph.

"Physically, no. We are not alone. However," Walter explained as Paige redirected her attention back towards him, "Ralph's mind is currently engaged in Proton Arnold. To him, we're not even here so, mentally speaking, you and I are the only ones in the garage."

Paige glanced over at Ralph again. "He's not in any danger of going down the Rabbit Hole, is he?"

"Not yet; it's barely been a half hour since we've been here. Now, if he were to stand there and play the game for hours without leaving to use the restroom or eat some food, then we may need to break him out of it, but for now, he's fine." Walter replied with a smile. "But because Ralph is a part of Scorpion, he won't have that problem – especially since we don't have to worry about Mark Collins anymore." Paige continued looking at her son; he recognized her worried expression. "Hey," he caressed her cheek, causing her to meet his gaze. "What's on your mind?"

"N-nothing." Paige stuttered. Because Walter discreetly paid attention to Toby's psychoanalyses in the past in order to understand emotional nuances from an analytical perspective, Walter knew Paige was lying.

"You're lying." Walter noted.

She forced a laugh. "For a guy who doesn't understand emotions, I still can't seem to get anything past you."

"You can thank Toby for that." Walter replied before she surprised him with a short, chaste kiss. She pulled away from him so he asked her again. "Paige, what's going on?"

Paige released a heavy sigh as she sat up and covered her face in her palms before pushing her hair back. "It's Drew." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm worried he might win the custody rights over Ralph. And if he does, then I have no choice but to give Ralph to him." She finally turned to look at Walter. "Tell me, if Ralph is forced to live with his father, is there a chance that Drew could unintentionally send Ralph into the Rabbit Hole?"

Walter leaned forward and nodded. "Yes. There is a chance. Given the fact that Drew doesn't seem to have the temperament to connect with Ralph, Ralph might seek comfort inside his mind. It doesn't happen often because most geniuses hack into banks and run away if they cannot connect with their family members, but if Ralph has reason to believe that he is trapped with Drew, then there's a possibility that he might tune the world out and hide inside his mind." Walter noticed the fear in Paige's eyes. "Hey," he cupped her face, "Drew is _not _going to win the case. Neither the jury nor the judge would choose Drew over you, Paige. _You _are a good mom to Ralph; Drew doesn't even stand a chance, and we will do everything we can to ensure it stays that way. I promise you, Ralph isn't going anywhere. I won't let it happen. Okay?"

Paige nodded and brought his palms to her lips. She then gripped his cheeks and leaned backwards against the sofa, bringing his face along with her. He slightly hovered over her as she slithered her palms around his neck. "We still have some Toby-free silence to utilize," she winked as she pulled him in for a series of short, sweet kisses.

Minutes passed, and Walter found himself even more comfortable with Paige as his lips caressed hers. Walter felt as though he and Paige had been sent to their own universe where certain universal laws of motion, gravity and time did not exist. With Paige, _everything _he felt seemed irrational, and yet she was helping him embrace and accept this new level of irrationality he had never experienced before her. Walter heard a distant clicking sound but didn't think anything of it. He wasn't really thinking, in all actuality. Paige had that daunting power over him, and there were times he wasn't sure if he wanted it to stop.

"Well, this day just keeps getting better and better!"

"T-Toby!" Walter and Paige exclaimed as they both jumped a part to the sound of Toby's booming voice.

"Well howdy to you too!" Toby grinned. "But don't mind me; I was just passing through! Though," Toby pulled out his phone, "could the two of you get all comfy and cozy again? I want to recapture this moment of awesomeness on video for future blackmailing purposes." Walter and Paige blinked. "Well just don't sit there and act stupid! Chop! Chop! We don't have all day!"

"And you wonder why Cabe had you psychoanalyze Alzheimer's patients." Happy said as she walked into the garage carrying a bunch of equipment.

"You'll never guess what I saw!" Toby smirked at Walter and Paige.

"And I don't care either." Happy replied, giving Toby the cold shoulder.

Walter stood up and circled around the coffee table before approaching Toby. Paige rose to her feet as well and headed for Ralph. "Can I have a word?" Walter asked Toby before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him off to the side.

"You could have been a little gentler." Toby frowned as he ripped his arm away from Walter's grip.

"I will say this once and once only." Walter's voice grew dark, causing Toby to gulp audibly. "Tell _anybody _what you saw, and I will personally cut your salary and will ensure that the government does not pay you until further notice. And when you use the last of what's on your most recent paycheck, I will thoroughly enjoy watching you squirm."

"Dually noted," Toby answered as he took a step back. "But I'm not stepping aside because you threatened me, Walt. I'm stepping aside because I'm your friend, and I would _never _do anything to betray that friendship."

"Yeah right," Happy called out from her work area. "Remember Las Vegas? You're just caving because you don't want to lose your precious paycheck."

"Oh you think I'm precious? That's sweet." Toby smiled and skipped his way over to Happy.

"I didn't say that, you dumbass. Don't put words into my mouth." Happy snapped as she picked up a torch blower.

"You have no idea how much I want to put _other _things in your mouth right now." Toby winked.

"Don't make me torch your masculine appendage with this." Happy deadpanned as she pointed the torch blower towards his crotch.

Walter tuned out of their conversation and focused on Paige and Ralph. Paige took Ralph over to her computer desk. Walter walked over to them and stole a kiss from Paige as Cabe and Sylvester walked into the garage. As Ralph pulled up a virtual game of chess on Paige's computer, Walter pulled Paige to the side and said, "I don't think Toby will say anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me. I'm sure." Walter nodded.

"Okay." Paige smiled as her hands played with Walter's. "Why don't we take Ralph to the hospital after he's finished with his chess game and then take him out for ice cream afterwards?"

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go." Walter replied as he pulled Paige towards Ralph.

"I said _after _he finishes his game," Paige laughed, pulling Walter back towards her.

"He _is _done. He's most likely on his third or fourth game right now." Walter replied, causing Paige to laugh even more.

"Maybe we can wait a little while longer," She muttered as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss.

He pulled away and kept his voice low. "I thought we were going to keep _us _private for a while." He had recalled the conversation they had in the limousine the night before.

"Walter," She laughed and whispered, "We were planning on keeping our date a secret too, but they found out within an hour after it started. I think it's safe to say they'll pick up on _us _too if they didn't already know."

"Oh, believe me," Happy called out again, "We know already so there's no need to whisper." Walter and Paige looked over in Happy's direction. "What?" Happy shrugged. "After seeing Walt walk into the garage like he was fluttering with wings and completely zone out on Toby in mid-sentence, it wasn't that hard to figure out; also, we _did _notice _your _lip prints underneath his ear."

Both Walter and Paige felt heat radiating from their cheeks. To avoid further confrontation with the rest of the team, Walter turned to Paige. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," Paige nodded. She turned around and coaxed Ralph off of the chess game as Walter headed straight for the front door. It was certainly going to be a long day.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Megan's POV**

Megan received a notice from one of her nurses that she had three visitors; she knew one of them had to be Walter, and she figured the other two were Paige and Ralph. She barely knew anybody else who worked for Walter's company so she didn't think Walter would bring any of his other friends. She slowly made her way to the visiting room of the hospital and saw Walter, Paige and Ralph sitting on one of the couches provided by the hospital. When Walter spotted her from his seat, he immediately stood up and walked up to her. Megan gave him a hug as she greeted him, and then he helped her make her way over to the velvet chair across from the couch. After she sat down, she placed her crutches beside her, and Walter returned to his seat next to Paige.

The way Paige interlocked her fingers with Walter did not go unnoticed, and the thought of her brother finally finding his own happiness – a happiness that existed outside of his mind – made her smile. Like the last time Ralph visited, he was in his own world, playing on the latest Nintendo model; she wasn't sure what it was called, but she remembered the time Walter had mentioned to her that he was planning on getting one for Ralph. She deducted that the Nintendo handheld system Ralph was playing with must have been the one Walter had purchased for him.

"I can see that dinner went well last night." Megan smiled as she leaned back in her chair and glanced at Walter and Paige's conjoined hands. "Care to share?"

"Not especially," Walter answered quickly, causing Megan to laugh.

"Oh come on, Walter! Please? You know cable sucks here so I'm in need for some great entertainment." Megan argued as she begged him to change his mind.

While Walter stood by his answer, but Paige brought his knuckles to her lips, kissed them and then said, "Why don't you take Ralph to the cafeteria and buy some lunch?"

"Are you hungry too?" Walter asked, looking at Megan and then Paige.

"We'll be down there shortly." Paige smiled.

"Okay." Walter nodded.

As he stood up, Paige pulled him back down and gave him a short, chaste kiss. Megan's eyes widened in reaction to their sudden PDA; she had never known Walter to be so open about any relationship (even with the lousy girlfriends) he had. She had to wonder if Paige had a strange (but good) effect on him. When Walter and Ralph left the lobby, Megan noted how Paige was checking her brother out; she had to clear her throat in order to capture the smitten woman's attention.

"So, how was the date?" Megan asked again, causing Paige to blush and smile. "Good, I assume?"

"It was perfect," Paige smiled. Megan could see the stars in Paige's eyes and knew that it was her brother who had put them there. "Contrary to popular belief, Megan, your brother – in his own way – is very romantic."

"Care to elaborate?" Megan laughed; she was glad her brother had found Paige. After he broke up with his last girlfriend, Megan had wondered whether or not Walter would ever stumble into a woman who would be able to put up with his high IQ. Now, more than ever, Megan believed he had found what she had hoped he would find.

"Well…," Paige explained as she rested her chin within her palms and smiled. Megan listened to the entire story, nodding and smiling whenever it seemed fit, and enjoyed the part about the champagne bottle and Cabe's discovery of Walter's face being covered in red lipstick. That would have been a sight she'd pay to see. Megan's heart melted when Paige told her about Walter's sixth observation and about Ralph's written assignment. She knew Walter adored and cared greatly for Ralph, so she could only imagine what sorts of feelings had been stirring inside her brother when he found out that Ralph saw him as a father figure.

Things seemed to be looking up for her brother, and she was grateful that he had both Paige and Ralph to share his life with – especially once she's gone. Her biggest fear, for the longest time, was that Walter would be alone and would sink into a deep pit of darkness whenever she dies, but she could now see that there was hope for her brother. With Paige, Walter would be able to eventually cope with her death – and have a shoulder to cry on. To hell with Walter saying he didn't have any emotions; Paige was proof that Walter had them – he just wasn't the best at expressing them. She hated how people misinterpreted her brother's lack of emotional quotient; people always seemed to be so quick to judge. Thankfully, Paige wasn't the kind of person to judge first. She knew her brother would be in good hands whenever she leaves him.

When Paige was done telling Megan about her date with Walter, Megan felt proud of her handiwork. She knew her brother only needed a little nudge in the right direction; the rest would take care of itself – and it did in full measure. As promised, they left the lobby and made their way to the cafeteria. Megan had told Paige to go on ahead and inform Walter that she was on her way, but Paige refused to leave Megan's side. Megan didn't argue with the woman after she realized Walter would have been just as stubborn. The two of them were certainly compatible if anything else. Ten minutes after leaving the lobby, the women entered the cafeteria and spotted Walter and Ralph in the far corner. Walter raced up to help her as Paige walked briskly over to her son. Walter helped her sit down, asking her what she wanted to eat. She told him to get her the Chicken Cordon Bleu. After Paige quickly pecked his cheek and sent him on his way, the young mother ruffled her son's hair and started her own conversation with him. Megan couldn't help but smile at all of the interactions.

Walter was going to be okay.

And that was all that mattered to her.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

"I think, tomorrow, we should bring Megan to the garage," Paige said as they got into her car. Walter hopped into the driver's seat as she slid into the passenger's front seat. Ralph was already settled in the back. They put their seatbelts on, and as Walter pulled out of the hospital's parking lot, Paige continued. "I don't know why, but she seemed a little depressed today."

"Depressed? She was smiling and laughing; how does that equate to depression?" Walter asked as he glanced over toward Paige before looking back at the road.

"Walter, you and I both know that emotions can be faked; you force smiles all the time whenever the team meets the clientele." Paige stated; he couldn't refute her statement. He knew she was right. He had lost count of how many times he forced a smile in order to appear professional or to show a fake level of appreciation towards someone. "Anyway, Megan could use a break from the hospital, don' t you think?"

Remembering his compromise with Megan, he nodded. "Having her over at the garage would give her a sense of company and would raise her spirits if she's as depressed as you think she is. I'll pick her up tomorrow after lunch; she can have dinner with the team."

"Great." Paige squeezed Walter's hand. "I'll be sure to text her when we get back to the garage to let her know."

"You have her number?"

"She gave it to me last week; I had visited her while you were on a mission with the rest of the team. I figured she could use some company. We exchanged numbers then. I told her to call me anytime she wanted to talk, and she said to do the same." Paige said while Walter slowed to a stop as the light in front of them turned red.

"The two of you seem to have grown closer over the past several weeks." Walter stated as he tapped on the gas. "I can tell Megan hold a high regard for you, Paige."

Paige squeezed Walter's palm again. "Well we _do _have something in common."

"What?"

"We both love talking about you," Paige laughed. "She's told me a few stories about you when the two of you were adolescents; in turn, I've told her a few stories myself."

Walter pulled into the ice cream parlor's parking lot, parked, turned off the car and then looked at Paige. "What kinds of stories?" Paige simply laughed and hopped out of the car; Walter watched as Ralph did the same. He unbuckled his seatbelt, climbed out of the car and jogged up to her. "Paige, what kinds of stories?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out someday." Paige laughed as she cupped his cheeks and pulled him in for a short kiss. "Now go take Ralph and find a seat while I order."

Walter dismissed his curiosity and nodded. He pulled out his wallet, handed Paige a twenty and told her to keep the change. She tried to argue, but he refused to take the money back. He had remembered how Cabe warned him against having Paige pay for anything while they were out together so even for a simple cone of ice cream, he wasn't going to let Paige pay for anything. As instructed, Walter took Ralph's hand and walked away from Paige in search for a table. They found a vacant table to the right of the building and waited for Paige.

"Did you finish the game yet?" Walter asked Ralph, referring to the Nintendo 3DS XL game Ralph had been playing earlier.

"Yes." Ralph nodded. "I've managed to beat the game three times since I started playing it yesterday."

"Then it looks like _we _are going to have to go to the store sometime and buy you a new game." Walter smiled as Ralph's eyes beamed.

"Today?" Ralph seemed hopeful.

"Probably not today, but I _promise_ we will go soon." Walter mumbled as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"Okay." Ralph nodded with a smile.

When Paige returned, she placed a small cup of swirl ice cream in front of Ralph and handed him a spoon before handing Walter his favorite: a medium-sized cone with two scoops of chocolate ice cream. She sat down across from Ralph and him before slurping on the straw of her small vanilla shake.

"Ralph," Paige said as her son continued eating his ice cream. When he finally looked up, she continued. "You like hanging around the garage, right?" Walter's ears perked up; he knew exactly as to where her conversation would go.

"Yeah," Ralph nodded as he spooned in another glob of ice cream into his mouth.

"Well," Paige glanced over in Walter's direction and then refocused her eyes on Ralph. "Walter has offered us a place to stay at the garage so you can spend more time with the team when you're not at school. Would you like that? Would you like to live at the garage?"

Ralph nodded his head very quickly. "Today?!"

Paige and Walter laughed. "You are more than welcome to stay at the garage for as long as you want, Ralph," Walter added. "We have two extra rooms in the garage that are currently empty, but if you want to stay the night, you can sleep in my room until the rooms are ready."

"We would have to move all of our things out of the apartment first, honey." Paige smiled at her son and then reached for Walter's hand. "But by the end of next week, I promise we will be permanently living at the garage."

"That would be cool." Ralph grinned as he finished his ice cream. "And more efficient."

"Precisely what I told your mother." Walter said before licking his ice cream. Out of nowhere, his ice cream slid past his mouth and bopped him in the nose; both Paige and Ralph were laughing as a result. He felt the cold, chocolaty substance drip from his nose and lips. After Paige told Ralph to go and grab some napkins, she slid off of the booth and made her way towards Walter.

"I don't understand what the purpose of _this_ was," Walter said as he pointed towards his face. He was unimpressed with Paige's antics.

"For one, it was fun," Paige laughed as she scooted in next to him. "And two: I have a few seconds to do this before Ralph gets back." Paige muttered as she pressed her lips against his and used her lips to wipe off the ice cream from his face. Walter found himself responding to her kisses after she had cleaned the ice cream off of his nose. He was sure people were staring at them, but for some unknown reason, he really didn't care.

By the time Ralph had returned, Walter and Paige resumed their positions and acted as though nothing happened. "Thank you, sweetie." Paige smiled as Ralph handed her the napkins. "However, I found an extra napkin next to me that was able to clean the ice cream for him." Paige lied as she gave Ralph a hug. "Are you done with your ice cream yet?"

Ralph nodded.

"Okay, let's head for the car." Paige said as she dumped her shake into the trashcan, followed by Walter's cone and Ralph's cup. Ralph climbed into the car and buckled himself in as Walter closed the door for him.

He stopped short and stood in front of Paige as her hands found his. "That was some…dirty trick…you pulled back there."

"But you _obviously_ enjoyed it though." Paige giggled as he leaned in to kiss her. Their lips barely grazed one another before she jerked herself away and became very alert all of the sudden. Walter sensed her uneasiness. Her body grew very rigid. He turned his head and looked towards the direction at which she was staring. His eyes widened when he saw Drew standing a few hundred feet away from them; the man was like a shadow they couldn't shake away.

"Come on. Let's go." Walter whispered. "We don't want to cause a scene here."

"Okay," Paige nodded as he opened the door for her. As soon as the door was closed, he circled around to the other side and climbed into the driver's seat. When he looked back towards the area where he and Paige had spotted Drew, he was gone.

And that made Walter slightly nervous for Paige and Ralph's sake.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>Sorry for the wait! Let me know what you think. More to come!


	21. Chapter 21

**WriterFreak001: **

Thank you so much for sticking with this story! I love writing it, and I made a very small change to chapter 17 to fit the storyline for this chapter. No context has been changed; I simply deleted two words. That's all. :)

Anyway, enjoy!

BTW, HAPPY SCORPION MONDAY! :D

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 21**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

When Walter, Paige and Ralph returned to the Cyclone, everybody was working on their own projects as usual. Sylvester was at his computer, Toby was playing with his Xbox Live and Happy was _finally _working on Walter's long forgotten car. Cabe was nowhere to be found; he probably had to go back to HQ for something. While Walter and Paige were expecting Toby to bug them about his little discovery earlier in the day, the psychoanalyst acted like nothing had happened. Walter assumed that Cabe did something to strike fear into him; that was the only logical explanation – either that, or Happy had something to do with it. Over the past couple of weeks, Walter had noticed that Happy had a similar kind of power over Toby that Paige had on him.

While Ralph ran over to Paige's computer, Walter and Paige made their way up the stairs for some privacy. After they sat down on the couch, Paige leaned against Walter's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Paige finally spoke. "I can't believe I ever let Ralph meet him." She casually played with Walter's palm as he pressed his lips against the top of her head.

"You were doing what you thought was best for Ralph," Walter replied, trying to cheer her up. "I might not be the best person to talk to for these kind of conversations, but if you want my honest opinion, Ralph is lucky to have you in his life, Paige. The fact that you were willing to give Ralph a chance to meet his father – despite the risks – proves you place Ralph's well-being above your own. Speaking from experience, not many parents of mentally enabled children are able to do that successfully. You can't beat yourself up for caring about your son's needs."

"I know," Paige nodded, squeezing Walter's hand with hers. "I know first-hand that Drew has a problem controlling his temper at times, but I've _never _seen him so obsessive before. Something tells me Drew's sudden desire to have full custody over Ralph is a part of something bigger – and that scares me."

Her gaze met his, and he caressed her face and leaned his forehead against hers like she had done many times before him. "I promise," Walter muttered as his thumb swiped across her lips, "Ralph is safe here. _Both _of you are safe here."

His palm slid from her face and clutched her fingers together as he brought them to his lips. He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet lavender scent as she closed her eyelids too. For minutes, they simply sat on the couch with their foreheads pressed together and shared the same breath of air. Paige gently kissed Walter and then returned to her original position when her cheek was pressed against his shoulder. Their hands did not separate, though.

Suddenly, a phrase Paige had stated earlier had finally processed inside Walter's mind. "What did you mean when you said you knew 'first-hand?'" Walter found Paige's eyes again and tried reading her expression, but he failed miserably. "Has Drew ever harmed you before?"

"No," Paige shook her head, "Not physically." Even though Walter wanted more context than her simple answer, he decided not to press things further. If Paige wanted to talk about it – whatever 'it' was – then she would bring it up; if she didn't, then that was her decision. Silence had passed between them before, to Walter's surprise, Paige continued. "We met in high school; he was the popular jock, and I was his 'girl.' I said before that my parents never liked Drew, but that was an understatement. They _loathed _him. I made quite a few reckless decisions because of Drew, and my parents didn't think I should hang out with Drew and his buddies, but I did anyway. Drew and I ended up going to the same college together – he played basketball, and I went into communications. We were drunk one night, one thing led to another and a few months later, I found out I was pregnant."

"With Ralph?" Walter remembered what Drew had said the last night he had been at the garage but decided to give Paige the freedom to choose what to tell him.

"No." Paige shook her head. She then smiled slightly. "A little girl."

"What happened to her?" Walter asked as his curiosity got the best of him.

"Well, both Drew's and my parents were devout Catholics; we knew they would most likely cut us off if we didn't do something about it. Drew had talked me into getting an abortion, but when I got to the clinic, I couldn't go through with the operation. Even though Drew had a partial scholarship, he wouldn't have been able to afford college if his parents cut him off; I knew my college career was over when I decided to keep the baby. The only solution to our dilemma was to elope – so we drove to Vegas one night and got it done.

"Drew's parents were more forgiving; mine, however, weren't. Our hearts weren't really into marriage at the time, but it was the only solution. I dropped out of college and started a job as a waitress as Drew continued with his baseball scholarship. The diner owner had me working long, stressful hours; it was partly my fault because I didn't tell him I was pregnant. I knew it would have been hard to find a job if the employer knew that I was expecting. For as long as I could, I hid the baby bump. I had regular appointments, and the baby girl," she smiled, "Aubrey, was healthy. Even though Drew couldn't make all of the appointments, he did his best to be involved." Paige started to tear up. To comfort her, Walter squeezed Paige's hand and kissed her fingers. "I carried her to full term, but when I went into labor, there were complications," her lips quivered, "and she di…she didn't…," Paige couldn't finish; she covered her mouth and broke into quiet sobs before she wrapped her arms around Walter and cried against his chest.

Walter, however, didn't really know what to say nor what to do; he couldn't fathom the thought of losing someone he loved. He knew he wasn't very good with these sorts of things so he did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him as she silently cried. For minutes, he just held her. It felt like the right thing to do – the right response. He didn't need to hear the rest of her response; it could wait. _He _could wait.

Minutes later, Paige pulled away from Walter and dabbed her eyes with her fingers. "I'm sorry," she apologized with a forced chuckle, "I don't know why I broke down like that." She stood up and stretched. "We can continue this chat later; right now, I just want to go downstairs and love on my kid."

Walter rose to his feet and then approached her. He reached down for her hand and laced his fingers with hers before she caught him off-guard with a chaste kiss. "What was that for?" Walter smirked as he leaned in to kiss her again.

"For changing my life," Paige smiled before kissing him one more time. She pulled away and led him down the stairs with their hands still conjoined. As they made their way towards Ralph, Paige muttered, "I think it's time to talk to Cabe now."

"I do too." Walter nodded in agreement.

Paige pulled her fingers out of his as she made her way towards Ralph. He was still on her computer. She bent down and hugged Ralph from behind before instigating a conversation with the boy. Walter stood behind them with his hands on Paige's shoulders. He leaned down close to her ear and quietly told her he would return momentarily before placing a short kiss against the back of her shoulder above the neckline of her blouse. He left Paige's side and made his way over to Toby.

"About earlier," Walter started, but Toby cut him off.

"Yeah, me too. We good now?"

"Yeah," Walter nodded as he offered his fist to Toby. Toby smiled and bumped Walter's fist before leaning back into his chair.

"So what brings you to _this _neck of the garage?" Toby asked as he cracked his knuckles. "Trouble in paradise?"

"No. Of course not." Walter shook his head. He opted not to tell Toby about Drew's odd appearance earlier; he figured he should tell Cabe first and see what the Homeland Security agent suggested. "I know I keep asking you this, but I was wondering how your research is going in regards to our psychoneurophobiological conditioning theory."

"Dude…if you're so bent on calling it that, at least call it PCT or something?" Toby said with a chuckle. "That's what acronyms are for." Walter gave him an annoyed look, encouraging Toby to answer Walter's initial question. "I've done my part, Walt. And by the looks of it, I think you have too." Toby winked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you were supposed to find out what makes her happiest." Toby shrugged as Walter nodded in response. "So…, if I had money to bet on this – which I do, but I won't – the answer is right in front of your nose. Well, technically behind your nose, but who cares about particulars anyway."

"Could you please be more elaborate, Toby? You know I don't like it when you dance around the answers before answering them." Walter folded his arms in front of him and frowned.

"If I don't dance around the answers, Walt, then how will you ever learn anything?" Toby mimicked Walter's stance as he remained seated in his chair. "All right. Moving on," Toby sighed as Walter continued to frown at him. "When you look at Paige over there, what do you see?"

"She's with Ralph." Walter quickly answered. Then he turned to face Toby. "So you're telling me Ralph is what makes Paige the happiest? I thought that was a given factor."

"No. No. No. No. No." Toby shook his head as he jumped up, circled around his desk and popped up next to Walter. "I'll agree that Ralph brings Paige joy, but what else do you see?"

As Paige ruffled her son's hair as he played chess on the computer, she occasionally glanced in Walter's direction, smile at him and then shift her eyes back onto the computer screen; he could tell that she had asked Ralph to explain the game for her because the boy was frequently pointing at the pieces on the screen. "I can see that she is very content."

"Mhmm. Go on." Toby encouraged him.

"She has a thirst for knowledge." Walter replied, making a mental note to include that tidbit into his observations later.

Toby frowned. "Okay. Stop. You're putting too much thought into it when the answer is pretty damn simple." Toby lowered his voice. "You want to know what I see?"

"Not really."

"Well, I'm going to give it to you anyway because this is me, Walt, doing you a favor." Toby rolled his eyes and then circled back around to his desk. He sat down, leaned forward and folded his fingers on top of his cedar desk. "I'm going to be very frank with you, Walter Dearest, as it seems that is the only way anyone can penetrate the thick walls your brain."

"Meninges." Walter stated, cutting Toby off.

"Yes. I know what meninges are, Walter. 'Thick walls of your brain' is just a figure of speech. Like I said, you're thinking too much right now." Toby nodded slowly. "Just…go with me for one minute. Anyway, as I was saying, even while she is with Ralph, Walt, Paige can't keep her eyes off of you. A glance here. A glance there. A glance everywhere." Toby chuckled. "Want to know what the shrink thinks after observing five seconds of your new lease on life?"

Knowing Toby wasn't going to give him much of a choice, he gestured for the behaviorist to continue.

"After you hear my theory, I don't think we'll need to pursue this project any longer." Toby chuckled. "Not only is Paige continuously giving you the goo goo eyes look, but you are subconsciously biting your lips in response. Her subconscious is obviously noticing it because she continues to smile and blush each time she turns away. Like I said; Ralph brings Paige joy, but joy won't be enough for the experiment – if we're still considering on conducting it. What she needs in order to white-out her fears isn't joy, Walt; it's pure ecstasy. And _you_, my friend, are _exactly _what she needs because, from what I can see, you set the lady on fiiiire." Toby smirked. "And that's a _very _good thing, Walt. Trust me."

Walter gulped. "So what is your overall conclusion?" He had a feeling where Toby was going with this.

"Two words: Horizontal Tango…if you get my drift." Toby winked, giving Walter the victory sign.

The very thought made the hairs on Walter's neck stand up. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. If _that _was what was going to take to condition Paige to subconsciously replace her fears, Walter didn't think he was ready to conduct such an experiment. He decided to toss that little tidbit out of his mind for future analysis – and he would ask for Cabe's opinion as well. Cabe seemed to have a better understanding of those sorts of things. Without another word, Walter recovered and walked towards Paige and Ralph. He remembered about the game he had promised Ralph. When he was back beside Paige, she greeted him with a kiss before he bent down and asked Ralph if he wanted to play another round of chess against him.

Ralph nodded and quickly finished his current virtual game as Walter left for the upstairs to set the game up. Paige remained with Ralph until he was done with his virtual competition. When the mother and son arrived upstairs, Ralph ran up to the table and sat down in front of the white pieces. Walter was sitting in front of the black. Paige informed Walter that she was coming down with a headache so she kissed both Walter and Ralph good luck before leaving for Walter's bedroom. He told her it would be the best place to rest.

Walter and Ralph played five consecutive games of chess; Walter won all of them, but he made sure to tell Ralph that the boy was vastly improving. Ralph didn't complain. Walter knew the boy understood the differential between their IQs. One of these days, Walter would like to test Ralph's IQ to achieve a more accurate number. If Walter had to guess, he would categorize Ralph within the 170 to 175 range, but he couldn't be too sure until after Ralph was tested.

By late afternoon, Ralph had returned to playing his Nintendo 3DS XL while Walter headed for his bedroom to check on Paige. When he saw her resting on top of his bed, he took a moment to appreciate the sight before approaching his bed. He climbed on top of the sheets on the opposite side to where Paige was and towered over her shoulder. He did not calculate, however, that she was still awake – that she had only been resting her eyes. She turned towards him and then used her palm to gently push him backwards until she was able to press him back down against the bed. She slightly hovered over him as she cupped his face; she pulled him into a short kiss before pressing her cheek against his collarbone. Her forehead grazed the side of his neck as their fingers found each other.

"After losing her," she suddenly whispered before she placed a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth, "Drew and I were never really the same afterwards. We drifted apart; he focused more on his baseball as I stayed home to grieve. He came home drunk one night – several months later – and became very…verbally abusive, blaming _me _for Aubrey's death. He woke up the next day and couldn't remember anything he had said so I pretended nothing happened. In the back of my mind, he didn't mean what he had said; he was drunk so I gave him a reprieve. I returned to work and started taking a few classes at school again. I managed to receive my diploma three semesters later; that was when I found out about Ralph. And honestly, I don't really even know how it happened; Drew and I weren't very close – we hardly saw each other, but like the first time, one thing led to another, I guess.

"When we found out we were having a boy, Drew seemed like he had finally put the past behind him and became more engaged in the pregnancy than when he was with Aubrey." Paige explained as she brought his fingers to her lips. She kissed them a few times and then continued. "I guess you can say Ralph sort of helped mend our relationship. And after what seemed like forever, we started to feel like a married couple again. And after Ralph was born, life seemed great for a while. But eventually, I got tired of moving from place to place because of Drew's baseball career so I put my foot down and told him it would be best to stay in Los Angeles. He agreed and said he would find us after the season was over…, and well, the rest is history."

Walter remained silent for a few minutes as he processed everything Paige had told him; he had to wonder what made Drew so obsessive; he was beginning to think Paige was right – something bigger was going on. "If it's any consolation to you," Walter didn't really know what else to say, "I'm sorry that you and Ralph had to go through what you two went through, but I'm glad that you're here now…with me." Before Paige came into his life, he never really had the desire to share personal information with anybody; Megan was the only person he would share things with. Neither Toby, Happy nor Sylvester knew about the two thousand lives his program had destroyed during the War on Terror. Aside from Cabe and Megan, Paige was the only other person he had told about that dark day. And now he was frequently finding himself disclosing more personal thoughts and memories to Paige, and it was relieving for someone other than his sister to know parts about him he would usually rather keep to himself.

Paige turned towards him and lightly planted a soft kiss over his lips. "I am too," she smiled and then kissed him again. "I am too."

**~ SCORPION ~**

An hour later, Walter and Paige descended the stairs and found Cabe horrendously losing a game of chess against Ralph. Sylvester ran up to Walter and told him that Toby had left to play a few rounds of poker with some of his street buddies, while Happy had disappeared to help someone out at a mechanic shop. Sylvester then retreated back to his desk, letting the couple make their way over to Cabe and Ralph.

As Cabe hovered his hand over a pawn, Walter shook his head. "I wouldn't move that if I were you." Cabe then moved to his knight. "Nope. Not that one either." Then the agent placed his hand over one of his rooks. "Do you even _know _how to play chess?"

"Would you just shut up and let me play?" Cabe turned around and snapped at the 197 IQ genius. "I don't need your assistance, kid. I've got this." Cabe moved the pawn like he originally was going to do, and Ralph knocked it down immediately.

"Check." Ralph said softly.

"I told you not to move that one." Walter mumbled.

"Don't make me pull my gun out on ya." Cabe barked as he moved his king to the left."

"Checkmate." Ralph replied as he swiped his bishop across the board and knocked Cabe's king over.

"Dammit." Cabe muttered.

"Please watch your language around my ten-year-old." Paige stated as she ruffled Ralph's hair.

"My apologies." Cabe slumped his shoulders and rubbed his eyes. Paige pulled Ralph aside as Walter sat down in Ralph's spot. "What is it, kid?" Cabe asked as Walter sat there in silence. Walter was paying more attention to what Paige was saying to Ralph than to what Cabe was saying. Paige told Ralph that she and Walter were going to have a grown-up talk upstairs. He nodded and said he would be playing on Toby's Xbox. When he scampered off, Paige walked over to Sylvester and asked the human calculator if he could keep an eye on Ralph. Sylvester smiled and nodded as Paige made her way back to Walter. She stood behind him and rested her hands on her shoulders. "Well is someone going to tell me what's going on here?"

"Let's go upstairs," Paige said as she pointed upward. As Paige pulled Walter up to his feet and walked with him up the steps, Cabe followed closely behind. Walter could only wonder what was going on in Cabe's mind at the time. They walked over to the counter and sat down. Finally Paige spoke. "Walter told me you had found some information on Drew several weeks ago."

"I did." Cabe nodded.

"I need to know what you found." Paige replied in confidence. Paige had found Walter's hand and squeezed it.

"Are you sure?" Cabe raised an eyebrow. "Once I tell you, there's no going back."

"I'm sure." Paige nodded. "He crossed the line today, and I need to know what he's been up to for the past seven years before I make any further decisions about him."

"What did he do?" Cabe asked as he lifted the other brow.

"We saw him from a distance," Walter said. "He didn't do anything, per se, but the only way he could have known we were at the ice cream parlor is if he was following us. Since his last visit, I uploaded a blocking software onto Paige's cell phone that disables people outside of these walls from tracking her. I did the same to Ralph's phone, and my phone is already loaded with several blocking programs. My phone is practically untouchable. So he couldn't have traced any of our phones. He was just there…in the distance… it was almost like he was looming over us or expecting something to happen."

"Have you checked Paige's vehicle?" Cabe asked Walter; "For all we know, he could have placed a tracker onto the car or found a way to track the car using the GPS system."

"That's a possibility," Walter nodded. "I'll look into it after a while."

"Good. Let me know what you find." Cabe said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh I will." Walter nodded.

"Anyway," Paige cut in. "What did you find out about Drew?"

"Let me tell you one thing, Paige; the dirt I've found on him isn't pretty. Nothing is substantial enough to incriminate him yet, but if there's something he's hiding, I'm sure Walter will be able to find it." Cabe said as he patted Walter's back. "So, I'll ask you again," Cabe quieted his voice. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes." Paige nodded. "I'm sure."

"All right." Cabe nodded. "Then I suggest you remain seated; it's quite a doozy."

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>So what do you think Cabe will tell them?

What did you think of the chapter altogether? :)


	22. Chapter 22

**WriterFreak001: **

OMG! That episode…. THAT was amazing! ULTRA AMAZING! :) I have rewatched 1x13 "Kill Screen" at least five times since Monday. Oh, and guess what! I am sooooo going to use that "Scoop Swear" sometime in my story because honestly, it totally fits! Especially since our favorite threesome go to the ice cream parlor often. :D However, I will most likely not be using the same backstory behind the "Scoop Swear" because my story isn't following the show (at least not anymore). Granted, there will be a few parallels, but I'm pretty much taking things my own way now.

Thank you for all of the reviews if you're on FFN, comments if you're on AO3 and messages if you're on Tumblr! They really make my day! :D

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the awesomeness that I'm going to bestow to you. :)

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Last time…<strong>

"_Anyway," Paige cut in. "What did you find out about Drew?" _

"_Let me tell you one thing, Paige; the dirt I've found on him isn't pretty. Nothing is substantial enough to incriminate him yet, but if there's something he's hiding, I'm sure Walter will be able to find it." Cabe said as he patted Walter's back. "So, I'll ask you again," Cabe quieted his voice. "Are you sure you want to know?" _

"_Yes." Paige nodded. "I'm sure." _

"_All right." Cabe nodded. "Then I suggest you remain seated; it's quite a doozy."_

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 22**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

Paige blinked several times after Cabe told her everything he had found out about Drew Baker. At first, she didn't believe the words that were coming out of Cabe's mouth. She didn't want to believe them. "No," Paige shook her head in denial. "That can't be right."

"I'm sorry, Paige, but it is." Cabe sighed as he slid off of the bar stool. He walked around the corner of the counter and stood behind Paige as he squeezed her shoulder. "I wish I was lying, but I'm not." Cabe sidestepped away from Paige and Walter and headed towards the stairs. "I'll leave you two alone."

As Cabe disappeared from the loft, Paige gripped her hair and slumped forward towards the counter. She released a heavy sigh while her mind continued to process everything Cabe had said. It was almost too much to handle. Suddenly, she hopped off of her stool and grabbed her purse from the coffee table in front of the loft's mustardy-colored couch.

Before she could reach the stairs, Walter raced up to her and reached out for her arm; he firmly gripped her wrist, forcing her to stop dead in her tracks. "Paige, what're you doing?"

"I'm going to find Drew and give him the hardest slap he'll ever receive in his life." Paige replied as she tried ripping her arm out of his firm grip. Unfortunately, his grip was too strong. "Let go of me, Walter."

"No." Walter shook his head. "Paige," he whispered, "You're angry and upset that Drew had lied to you, and I know you want to get back at him for everything he's done, but trust me, you don't want your anger to consume you. Believe me, anger clouds your judgment and makes you do reckless things."

"You can't expect me to give him a freebie for one, lying about where he's been for the past seven years; two, marrying another woman only weeks after our divorce was processed; three, disappearing from his new lease on life after his wife allegedly committed suicide last year only to turn up in Los Angeles months before he even notified me that he was in town and then spent time with my son?" Paige tried pulling her arm out of Walter's grip again. "I'm going to find him and tell him to stay the hell away from Ralph and me because he probably killed his wife and is most likely a freaking sociopath!"

"Which is why you shouldn't go over there, Paige." Walter said as he pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. She felt his breath brush underneath her ear as he held her close to him. "I promise we will figure this out. There's nothing more I'd like to see than Drew being dragged into a squad car and shipped off to a mental hospital, but something doesn't add up." Walter said, causing Paige to calm down and give him a look of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Cabe said Drew's been leading a double life – as Drew Baker, he was a washed up minor league baseball player; as his alias, Spencer Thomas, he was married to a woman in Portland for six years. First of all, why live a double life? That's the first question we need to have answered. Second, Cabe had mentioned that _Spencer_'s wife had filed for divorce but he refused to divorce her; she left him and then she claimed he was following her. The report said he had grabbed her and begged her to come home. She caved and returned home with him; a few weeks later, she was found dead in her bedroom with her wrists slit down her forearms. That's too much of a coincidence for her death to be ruled as a suicide." Walter explained as he cupped her face.

"What do you think happened, then?" Paige asked, fearing for Ralph's safety.

"I don't know. Either Drew is very good at covering his tracks – which I find very hard to believe, or he hired someone after he had found what he was most likely looking for. Those are the only plausible scenarios; why else would he be desperate enough for her to return to him – he needed something of hers. And when he found it, he didn't need her anymore. Or, she was a liability that needed to be dealt with. All we know is that Drew had landed into debt during the time he left Los Angeles and when the divorce papers were filed, he had created a fake life and his alias's dead wife happened to be filthy rich. There has to be a lot more to the story because I'm not buying suicide. I have to wonder if Drew's desire for Ralph's custody has anything to do with whatever he was involved in when he was living as Spencer Thomas." Walter answered before pressing his lips against Paige's forehead. "Paige, whatever Drew's involved in…, whatever's going on, we will figure it out – all of us. Drew will get what he deserves once we have uncovered enough incriminating evidence against him."

Paige frowned as she slid his palms off of her face. "And if we don't?"

"We will." Walter seemed very sure of himself. She knew she had to trust him. She released a heavy sigh, nodded and wrapped her arms around the middle of his back before leaning her cheek against his collarbone. Walter kissed the top of her head as she felt his arms enfold her into a loving embrace.

For minutes, they stood in silence and held each other; Paige still couldn't believe how Drew had manipulated her – making her think all he wanted was to do right by Ralph. He persuaded her into letting him meet his son when all he most likely wanted to do was ensnare Ralph into whatever his plans were. She felt foolish for buying into Drew's lies. If something ever happened to Ralph because she had allowed him to meet his father, she would never be able to forgive herself. Never.

"Until all of this is taken care of, I'm going to pull Ralph out of school. I want him by my side as much as possible. I don't want him going anywhere alone." Paige said as she found Walter's eyes.

He nodded. "Yes. That is wise. And Drew cannot get into the garage – Happy will have the second retina scanner done by the end of the day, and I'll make sure she installs it tonight."

"Okay," Paige muttered as she leaned into his embrace again. She felt safest when she was with Walter, and she trusted him to keep her son safe. Drew would have to kill her first before touching a single hair on Ralph's head. She was going to do whatever she had to in order to protect her son – even if that meant crossing the line.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

Several minutes later, Walter and Paige made their way down to the lower level of the garage and found everyone grouped around the Xbox Live system, watching Sylvester play one of Toby's video games. Ralph was crowded around him too. Before approaching the group, Cabe walked over to them, and Walter explained to Cabe what the game plan was.

"First thing's first, we've gotta find _everything _we can about Drew and his alias. We will look at every angle until we find something worth looking into. There are some gaps I need filled, and in order to do that, I need _everyone's _cooperation."

"Say no more, kid." Cabe said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I want to get that bastard as much as you so consider Drew your next case assignment. Until we know what we're up against, everything will be off the record. I've repeatedly looked over the files involving Drew and think we're missing a few things too. We don't know if Drew's involved in something bigger so we need to be discreet."

"Agreed." Walter nodded.

"I'm going to take Ralph upstairs," Paige cut in and squeezed Walter's hand. "I don't think he should be around to hear this yet."

"Good idea." Walter said after Paige pulled him down for a quick kiss. As she left to fetch Ralph, Walter muttered towards Cabe, "Paige's gonna pull Ralph out of school until we find a way to keep Drew away from him."

"That's not a bad idea." Cabe said, keeping his voice low. "I'll be sure to let the school know it's for Homeland Security purposes – all of his absences will be excused, and I'll personally go with Paige to pick up Ralph's missed assignments."

"No." Walter shook his head. "Let me go instead. If you escort Paige to Ralph's school, Drew might be somewhere nearby watching. He'll know something's up."

"And just what the hell are you going to do if you bump into Mr. Crazy Pants?" Cabe asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"If he asks, we'll tell him Ralph's sick." Walter shrugged. "I suggest you be in a car within the vicinity of the parking lot in case Drew should try anything."

"Just don't do anything to provoke him." Cabe shook his head. "Because this is going off the record for now, you'll still be responsible for your other cases. I can't let the director know you'll be handling a personal case when it could take weeks to solve. We need to make sure Drew doesn't think anything is going on; our days have to be as normal as possible."

"Noted," Walter nodded, "However, I'm not leaving Paige and Ralph alone at the garage. Paige hasn't been cleared yet to join in on our cases, and there's no way I'm going to let Ralph come with us when we might be doing something highly dangerous."

"Walter…, you need to act like nothing is going on. That means you have to go on those cases whether you want to or not. Paige and Ralph will be safe here; I promise." Cabe's voice faded as Paige and Ralph approached them.

"Hi Walter." Ralph smiled as he held his mother's hand. "Are you coming upstairs too?"

Walter glanced at Paige and then bent down until his nose was aligned with Ralph's. "I will in a while; the team and I have some things to do, but as soon as I'm done, I'll be up there. I promise."

"Okay," Ralph nodded. Then he turned towards Paige. "Mom, are you needed down here too?"

"Nope!" Paige smiled as she hugged her son. "I'm _all _yours, young man. Perhaps you can teach me more about chess while we're up there."

"Cool!" Ralph beamed as he wormed his way out of Paige's embrace and darted up the stairs, causing Cabe, Paige and Walter to laugh at the boy's enthusiasm.

"I'll see you later," Paige muttered in Walter's ear before planting a kiss on his cheek.

As she disappeared up the stairs, Cabe said, "So…, you want to make the announcement or shall I?"

"I will." Walter said as he walked up to the team and stood in their line of sight until all three of them made eye contact with him. Good. "All right," Walter clapped his hands and spoke in a quiet tone, "we have a new case as of today, and it has to remain off the record until we know what we're up against. That being said, we're going to be twice as busy because we'll still have to handle our normal round of cases too because we don't want to attract any attention unnecessarily. Are we clear?"

"One thing," Toby said in a whisper, "why are we whispering?!"

"Because our newest assignment has to deal with Drew, and we don't want Ralph to know what's going on until I can properly explain it to him in a way he'll understand." Walter replied, getting a silent 'ah' from Toby.

"Why are we looking into Drew?" Happy asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, the guy is kinda creepy, I guess, but he seems like a waste of time; he hardly seems like the criminal type."

"And yet he _did_ fake a court order," Toby reminded Happy. "Count me in." Toby pointed to himself as he looked at Walter. "That bastard showed no sympathy towards Sprinkles, and _that_ pissed me off."

"Sprinkles doesn't exist." Happy said as she glanced over at Toby.

"In here," Toby pointed to his heart, "he does, Happy. In here, he does."

"D-Does Paige know about this?" Sylvester asked, interrupting the mini conversation that was going on between Toby and Happy.

"Yes." Walter nodded. "Paige knows. Listen, the faster we work and find some incriminating evidence against the guy, the faster we can all continue with our lives as if this whole Drew debacle didn't even happen."

"Walt, I get that you're a little jealous over Drew because the dude shared something with Paige _you_ still haven't experienced, but don't you think incarcerating the poor bastard is a little harsh?" Toby planted his palms against his hips and lifted his eyebrow.

"Toby, this has nothing to do with that." Walter frowned. "It has everything to do with the fact that Drew is seemingly unstable because Paige and I spotted him following us while we were at the ice cream parlor with Ralph."

"Wait, he was stalking you two? And Ralph? Why didn't you say anything?!" Toby threw his hands into the air.

"I didn't want to alarm you unnecessarily." Walter answered quickly. "Anyway, there's no time for twenty questions. Happy, I want you to finish that retina scanner for the back door; it needs to be installed _tonight."_

"On it." Happy nodded and disappeared into her work station.

"Sylvester," Walter called for the human calculator.

"Yes?!"

"Find everything you can on a suicide report of a woman named Kathleen Johnson Thomas. I want to see coroner reports, notes, basically anything and everything you can find about that suicide." Walter ordered.

"Absolutely." Sylvester nodded and then scurried off towards his desk.

"Toby, I need you to look into the name Spencer Thomas – apparently Drew had an alias for nearly six years so find everything you can on him."

"Yup! Doing it now." Toby stated and bolted for his desk. "What are _you _going to do, Walter?"

Walter looked back towards the stairs and then at Cabe. Before Walter said anything, Cabe answered for him. "He's going to go upstairs and keep Ralph occupied until the three of you come up with the information." Cabe turned towards Walter and whispered, "Don't worry; I've got things handled down here. You go and be with _them_."

"Thanks." Walter patted Cabe's shoulder before he turned to dash up the stairs. When he entered the loft, he found Ralph explaining chess to Paige while they were sitting on the couch. As he sat down next to Paige, she greeted him with a quick kiss before he joined in on the fun and helped explain the game alongside of Ralph.

"And the most important thing you need to do, Mom, is protect your king because once he's dead, the game's over." Ralph said as he pointed to a black king's piece.

Walter found his statement to be the perfect segue for the news Paige wanted him to tell Ralph. "Speaking of protecting kings," Walter began and received an approving glance from Paige to continue. "Ralph, imagine all of the team members of Scorpion as different pieces of white chess players. You are considered Scorpion's king, and the rest of the Scorpion family members are representations for all of the pieces trying to keep you - the king - safe. Your mom is the Queen, and like the queen, she's willing to do anything and everything to protect you. Am I right?" Ralph nodded his head in response. "Good. Sylvester is like the bishop. Toby, the rook. Happy, the knight."

"What about you?" Ralph asked.

Walter smiled. "I symbolize the pawns put together. While they may be weak pieces as individuals, they are strong when their forces are combined and have been considered as a representation of the front line in terms of war and battles. And you know what front lines do, Ralph?" Ralph shook his head. "Front lines have the most important job in any battle strategy. In ancient war times, the front lines consisted of soldiers who were willing to do what was necessary in order to defend their king – even if it meant that they were going to sacrifice their lives in order to keep the king safe. That same strategy is still used today - even in a game of chess. Like the pawns, I'm willing to do everything in my power to make sure you feel safe inside and outside these walls. Understand?"

"Yeah." Ralph nodded.

"Good," Walter ruffled the boy's hair. "Now, Scorpion, as I said before, is like the white team – we are good. White is commonly associated with goodness. The force we are protecting you from is like all of the black pieces put together; he is willing to manipulate people and do whatever he can in order to obtain the king. In this case, obtain you. There's no easy way to say this, Ralph, but the team downstairs is looking for ways to incriminate the person who represents the black army - and that person is your father, Drew. Your father is a master of deception - as it would seem. Drew's been lying to you and your mother for quite some time now, Ralph. He's an opponent Scorpion needs to deal with. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

Ralph nodded. "You're telling me my dad is bad."

"Yes," Paige nodded. "Your father is…not who we thought he was."

"And because of that," Walter continued, "Your mom is going to pull you out of school until we get all of this figured out."

"That means you and I will be staying here, in the garage, indefinitely." Paige added. "Okay?"

"Okay." Ralph nodded as he stared at the chess pieces and swung his feet back and forth as if he was upset about something. "I'm sorry," he spoke softly.

"What for, honey?" Paige inquired.

Ralph didn't answer.

"Ralph," Walter tried, "why are you sorry?"

Silence.

"Ralph?" Walter tried to read the situation, and if he had money to bet, he was pretty sure he knew why the boy was upset. "Are you apologizing because you think your father's negative behavior is your fault?"

Paige immediately snapped her head towards Walter as Ralph looked up at him. Finally, he nodded his head slowly.

"Why do you think that, honey?" Paige asked as she wrapped her son into her arms. "Ralph?"

Ralph finally answered his mother. "Dad left to see movies – lots of movies. Many times, Dad grew frustrated; he was often frustrated with me. And when he was frustrated, he left to see movies. I must have said something or done something to make him want to see so many movies. And maybe watching all of those movies weren't enough to calm him down, and maybe that's why he's bad now. Because of something I did."

Paige squeezed Ralph into a gentle embrace. "Look at me, Ralph," Paige pulled away from her son and cupped his face. "It wasn't your fault." She shook her head and then kissed his forehead. "You are not the blame for your father's disappearance. Drew left for other reasons; he's bad because the only reason he's returned to Los Angeles is to take you away from me – from Scorpion."

Ralph's eyes grew wide with fear.

"But," Walter intervened as he caught Ralph's eyes, "We are not going to let that happen. I promise, Ralph. You are safe here." Walter smiled. "You are safe, Ralph."

Ralph nodded, showing that he understood Walter's promise. "Okay. I trust you, Walter." Ralph smiled.

"Good." Walter smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.

After a while, Ralph fell asleep on the couch so Walter carried the sleeping boy into his bedroom. He kept the door slightly open and then made his way back to where Paige was sitting. He sat next to her, and she automatically leaned against him, pressing her temple against his upper arm. Walter planted a kiss on top of her head. He could tell Paige was exhausted. She was growing tired too. Eventually, Paige fell asleep against his arm so he carefully picked her up and carried her to his bedroom as well. He decided he would wake them when it was time for supper. He placed her slender form on his bed next to Ralph and then leaned down to press his lips against hers. She was fast asleep. He then kissed her eyelids, her forehead and then her cheek before heading for his bedroom door. He turned around and absorbed the sight in front of him. He couldn't help but smile. Paige and Ralph meant the world to him, and as far as he was concerned, he would be damned if he let anything ever happen to them.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

Well? What did you think?


	23. Chapter 23

**WriterFreak001: **

Katharine looked stunning at the PCA's. :) I hope _Scorpion _(it will most likely be renewed since it is one of CBS's top 3 shows) gets nominated for a top 5 fan favorite of the PCAs next year if they don't win a category. This show is too amazing, and I feel like lots of people are missing out on a phenomenal show! :) It would have been soooo cute if Elyes Gabel was with Katharine on stage introducing Lady Antebellum.

Perhaps next year. :D

Also, thank you so so so so much for continuing to follow my story! :D I love writing it, and as a great person once said, it is important to think about the readers when writing. The way I think about the readers (yes, all of you) is by channeling the show through my fanfiction. I want your reading experience to be as authentic as your viewing experience when you watch the TV series (the only difference? _Deception _is simply a spin-off from Ep. 07 "Father's Day").

Anyway, I'll shut up now. Enjoy!

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><strong>WARNING: Brief sexual content included in this chapter (and no, I'm going to throw this out there right now, the 'horizontal tango' is not completely carried out in this chapter. This chapter only has a brief scene involving responses to sexual tension. (We can't deny that Walter and Paige have had it for a while – especially in this fanfiction).<strong>

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 23**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

Walter made his way down to the lower level of the garage where everyone was working on their individual assignments. Happy and Cabe were out in the back, installing the retina scanner for the back door of the Cyclone, while Toby and Sylvester were at their computers, digging up as much information as they could find on Drew and his alias, Spencer Thomas. First, he went to check up on Sylvester.

"Have you found anything yet?" Walter asked as he folded his arms in front of him and towered over Sylvester's desk.

Sylvester handed Walter a packet of papers. "These are copies of all of the coroner's and the police's reports I could find on the case. I also sent all of the photographs the forensics team took to your IP address for review." As Walter took the packet from Sylvester, the human calculator continuously tapped his fingers along his desk as he stared at his computer.

"What is it, Sylvester?" Walter asked, recognizing his friend's nervous habits.

"You said everything we're doing has something to do with Drew; correct?" Sylvester withdrew his hands and pulled them closer to his body.

"That is correct." Walter nodded. He wondered why Sylvester seemed overly nervous.

"I don't mean to pry, but does Ralph know what we're doing?"

"He is aware." Walter encouraged Sylvester to continue. "Why?"

"It's just that…, I looked over all of the files about this alleged suicide and find it very strange that the coroner would rule this woman's death a suicide when she had filed several reports about this _Spencer Thomas _stalking her after they had separated. There were other reports made by various friends and neighbors that suggested her husband – which is really, actually, Drew – started getting physical with her, and I don't mean the sex kind either." Sylvester replied as he twiddled his thumbs in small circles. "I just don't understand how this woman's death could be labeled a suicide if there is history of physical abuse. It just doesn't seem like it would be an open-and-shut case; I have to wonder if these so-called cops were doing their jobs correctly."

"Were you able to find out how old the head detective was?" Toby asked as Walter noticed him walking towards them.

"As a matter of fact, I did." Sylvester nodded as he looked at the packet of papers he had handed Walter. "May I?"

"Go for it." Walter said as he handed the packet back to Sylvester. Sly flipped to the middle of the packet and pointed to a heavyset, male officer with a thick, greyish mustache and balding hair. The officer was not smiling. "His name is Detective Reginald Fitzgerald, the third."

Toby picked up the packet and glanced at the photo. "Well no wonder the case seemed sloppy." He turned the packet over and pointed to the picture. "Just _look _at this cheeseball. For starters, he was fifty-nine years old – it says _here_," he pointed to a small bullet point on the file, "that Detective Frowny Face had retired on August 03, 2013. Two weeks after this case was closed. I don't know about you two, but if I was on the brink of retirement, I sure wouldn't want to work overtime in order to solve a seemingly easy case." Toby paused and flipped the packet back over in order to read the profile even further. "Aaaand it says all of his cases for his last month were open and shut cases. Anything that seemed too complicated were most likely handed off to a younger detective duo so he wouldn't have to postpone his retirement."

"And that is why law enforcement shouldn't be placed solely in the hands of normals." Walter muttered as he rubbed his temples.

"No kidding." Toby agreed as he placed the packet on top of Sylvester's desk. "And they think _we're _selfish and condescending?! I mean, seriously! Talk about pots and kettles, for crying out loud!"

After Sylvester smoothed out the packet, he folded his hands into his lap and looked at Walter. "I also found out that the reason Drew's alias wasn't convicted was because he couldn't be placed at the scene of the crime. Apparently _Spencer Thomas _booked a flight to Kansas a week before Kathleen's murder. He had an alibi."

"Was there any confirmation that Drew's alias arrived in Kansas?" Walter inquired as he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at Toby.

"That's where things get interesting." Toby smirked. "While you were upstairs, Sly asked me that same question; so it got me curious. Not _only _did Mr. Thomas land in Topeka, but there's record of Drew Baker arriving in Las Vegas a day _before _his alias arrived in Kansas. And I don't think he was clicking any ruby shoes to dream his way to the City of Sin either. So I checked into Mr. Thomas a little bit more; you'll never guess what I found."

"What?" Both Sylvester and Walter queried.

"You see, when the Portland PD determined Spencer Thomas's whereabouts and found out he had booked a flight to Kansas, they never asked the airport staff to give them a description of the guy. Had they done so, they would have figured out that Spencer Thomas wasn't who he said he was – which we all know already." Toby explained slowly. "When I hacked into the airport's database and gathered Intel on the flight Spencer had booked to Topeka, I quickly found out that there was _indeed_ a Spencer Thomas onboard. After some decent hacking, I managed to obtain information on the credit card that was used to purchase the ticket. But guess what?"

"What?" Sly gulped. Walter remained silent.

"The card was a MasterCard in the name of a Spencer Thomas. I hacked into the MasterCard database and plugged in the card's verification number; I was able to find out that the card was renewed two years ago. The address was changed to Portland in 2009. I managed to uncover the card's former address and backtracked that information to a single, elderly man named Spencer Thomas who went missing shortly before the address on the card had been changed."

Walter pressed his lips to a hard line as he processed Toby's find.

Sylvester's mouth fell open. "D-did D-drew kill him?!"

"I'm not sure," Toby shrugged. "But if I had to put my two cents in, I'd say there is a strong possibility that Drew had something to do with the real Spencer Thomas's disappearance."

"That's the problem with credit card agencies these days. As long as money is getting paid and information is frequently updated, they never bother to check and see if there's been any fraudulent activity." Walter rubbed his temples.

"That's what forensic accountants and analysts are for, Walt. Need I remind you that you were one yourself?" Toby lifted an eyebrow.

"That was several years ago. At any rate, people are starting to slack off." Walter sighed.

"Think of it this way," Toby smirked. "If it weren't for the sloppiness of Corporate America or the ineptitude of practically any business, a team like _us _wouldn't be getting paid to fix their mistakes." That comment made Walter smile a little. Toby _did _have a point. "Anyway, whatever Drew was up to, he wasn't working alone. He had an accomplice which helped him create his new alias."

"How are you sure?" Walter shifted his weight to his left leg.

"Think about it, Walt. Does Drew strike you as someone who knows how to use a computer or hack into databases?" Toby frowned. "He doesn't to me. Tell me, when was the last time you made a mistake whenever you faked a documentation in order to obtain information you needed inside a facility?"

"Never." Walter shook his head and then smiled. "Which means Drew had to have had a partner to help him change his identification in order for his plans – whatever they were – to work."

"Exactly." Toby nodded with a smirk. "And this is where I'm going to pause and savor this moment of sweet bliss; it's not often that I get a chance to feel a smidge smarter than you, Mr. O'Brien." Toby sniffed the air. "Do you smell that? It's the smell of my pedestal rising."

Walter and Sylvester rolled their eyes. "So," Walter continued, "if we can backtrack Spencer Thomas's recent identification information to an IP address, we _might _be able to locate Drew's accomplice."

"I'll see what I can do." Sylvester stated as his fingers started tapping away on his computer.

"Thanks." Walter patted Sylvester's shoulder before turning to Toby. "Is there anything else you found, Toby?"

"Perhaps…. Right now, it's all speculation." Toby replied as he twirled his hat.

"Well tell me what you have." Walter implored the psychoanalyst to continue.

"Okay." Toby nodded. "If I recall correctly, Paige had mentioned that Drew left seven years ago, which would be sometime in 2007." Toby paused, looked at Sylvester and then at Walter. "Ummm, I'd like to explain the rest of my findings with Walter in private, if you don't mind, Sly."

"Nope. Not at all. If it compromises Paige's privacy, then I don't want to know about it because I'm terrible with secrets. I don't want Paige mad at me for any reason."

"Thanks for understanding, Sly." Toby said as he gave the human calculator a fist bump. Then, he tilted his head towards the interrogation room. Walter nodded with approval and followed the behaviorist across the garage and away from unwanted listeners. After Toby closed the door to the interrogation room, he continued, "I found Drew and Paige's old marriage license."

"Okay." Walter didn't know what sort of reaction the behaviorist was expecting from him. He had accepted the fact that Paige and Drew were once married. Once, being the operative word. He wasn't jealous of Drew anymore; he knew where the scumbag stood in Paige's life – in _all _their lives. "Your point?"

"Dude…, were you aware that they eloped?"

"Yes." Again, Walter was trying to figure out what Paige's marriage to Drew had anything to do with the man's alias, Spencer Thomas.

"I know you told me to look up Spencer Thomas and whatnot, but trust me, Walt. This is all relevant." Toby said as he took a seat. Walter did the same. "The certificate stated they had eloped in 2003 in Las Vegas. I hate to get all shrink-like without Paige here to defend herself, but she's a private person. I am speaking only to you in confidence because I don't want Paige to know I know _anything _about her personal life. Whatever I say in here will not leave this room. You have my word, Walter." Toby replied as he took off his hat – a gesture he only did when he was very serious about something.

"If it is relevant to what you were saying earlier, then proceed." Walter replied. He was not blind to the fact that looking into Drew's background would possibly lead his team towards looking into Paige's personal life too, and he was sure Paige understood those ramifications as well.

"To me," Toby began, "Paige seemed more like a woman who had dreams of a perfect, traditional wedding. She is much attuned to the emotional world and just doesn't seem like the kind of woman who'd want to elope. Eloping at Vegas is usually a spontaneous act between lovers during their visit. Paige, to me, is anything _but _spontaneous. She is well-organized, she plans ahead for everything and seems to be taking you on the slow train, if you get my drift." Toby paused; Walter's unimpressed look urged him to continue.

"Anyway, I don't really know what _you've _experienced with Paige – and maybe I don't want to know, but the fact that she didn't jump you the first time the two of you met tells me that spontaneity is not something she typically lives by. Then again, she could have been completely different back then, but I highly doubt it. Her grades were excellent – she was the valedictorian in high school. That position takes a lot of patience and studying; spontaneous people usually don't study for tests. They're better at winging them and _hoping _that they pass.

"And even when she started college, she was an excellent student. I kinda sorta hacked into her high school and college transcripts in order to successfully analyze her relationship with Drew. Paige's financials in 2003 show that she and Drew were only in Las Vegas for one day and one night. That tells me they weren't in the City of Sin for the fun, but because they _had _to be. And after their elopement, she dropped out of college for a few years. That scenario just _screams _unplanned pregnancy, if you ask me. Why else would they visit Las Vegas for only one night? Trust me, Walt. If Drew and Paige were planning on going to Vegas for a gambling spree, they wouldn't be staying there for only one damn night. I mean, who does that?! And I know it's not my place, Walt, but do you know if I'm right?"

"I don't feel comfortable talking about Paige without her present." Walter closed his eyes and sighed. The more Toby spoke, the more Walter felt uncomfortable discussing Paige's past without her. If anything, Drew's past whereabouts and whatnot have everything to do with Paige. So if Toby wanted information about Walter's _girlfriend _- he inwardly smiled at that thought – then the behaviorist was going to have to go directly to the source. "Perhaps I should wake her up. I think she would be better at clarifying anything you might be confused about; after all, she _was _married to the man for four and a half years and knew him throughout high school and college." Walter stood up.

"Perhaps you're right. She _would _have better insight than you." Toby nodded. "Okay. Go and get her."

"Okay." Walter said as he left the interrogation room and headed for the stairs. He walked slowly towards his room to find Paige and Ralph still sleeping on his bed. Toby needed to speak with Paige, but Walter didn't want to leave Ralph alone upstairs either. The best solution was to have Toby come upstairs to the loft where Paige could answer his questions while Ralph continued to rest. He quickly sent a text to Toby to meet Paige at the mustard-colored couch in the loft, and then he quietly approached the sleeping woman. He watched her sleep on his bed for what seemed like thousands of seconds before he bent down and gently shook her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open and found his gaze; her lips curled to a smile. "Hi."

"Are you okay to talk? Toby has some things he wants to ask about Drew." Walter whispered, hoping not to wake Ralph up from his nap.

"That's fine." She nodded as she sat up and stretched her muscles. As she slid off of the bed, she turned to look at her son as she leaned backwards against Walter's torso. He naturally wrapped his arms around her waist and latched his fingers with hers. They both stood in silence as they watched Ralph sleep peacefully in Walter's bed. He kissed the top of her head and smelled lavender. He had grown accustomed to the scent of Paige's shampoo and had learned that he found the scent quite pleasing. He secretly hoped she would never change the type of shampoo she uses when she washes her hair. "What are you thinking about, Walter?" Paige mumbled quietly as she continued to watch Ralph.

Avoiding a direct answer to her question, Walter's lips leaned towards her ear and whispered, "I think it's obvious."

She twisted within his arms and locked her hands around his neck. "Is it?" Her velvety voice was soothing to his ears. He almost forgot how to breathe when he felt her warm breath tickling his neck and chin. He knew what she was trying to do, but he wasn't going to fall for it; not this time – no matter how hard it was to resist the power she had over him. She had usually been successful in the past to get him to either reveal his innermost thoughts or casually push him out of his comfort zone when he wasn't ready to make the jump.

There was the time she had coerced him into telling her about his sister, Megan – a sore subject he had neglected to share with the rest of his team members. He had smashed a coffee cup into the counter, and as she mended his palm, he caved and answered her questions. To this day, he still didn't understand the power Paige held over him. It was ethereal. There were no other words to describe it. He also remembered the time she forced him to dance with her. While he had blatantly told her he couldn't dance, she insisted, and when her hand had touched his and pulled him towards the center of the ballroom, he couldn't resist.

Before he was able to answer her, they heard Ralph shuffle in the bed, reminding them they weren't alone. Paige quickly pulled Walter down for a kiss, and as she tore away from his embrace, the boy had fallen asleep again. That was when Walter remembered Toby. "We should go out there now; Toby might get suspicious. He's waiting in the loft."

"Suspicious of what?" Paige raised an eyebrow as they headed towards the door.

"O-of th-things." Walter struggled to say.

"Of course." Paige giggled as she opened the door. He had to wonder if Paige was aware of the insane power she held over him – it seemed like she was enjoying herself a little too much a few moments ago. He would have to sit down and process it later. Walter observed Paige's behavior; he might not be a shrink, but he was glad that she wasn't interested in finding Drew anymore – that would have been disastrous. Especially with how dangerous Drew seemed to be.

He and Paige sat down next to each other on one couch, while Toby was already sitting in one across from them.

"I was beginning to wonder if the two of you got lost inside Walt's bedroom and decided to have a quickie in the middle of the floor." Toby snickered as he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. Paige's face grew bright red as Walter's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets in response to Toby's comment. Toby shook his head and laughed playfully. "I'm just kidding; I know Ralph's in there so there'd be no waaaay you two would stoop so low to do something like that; besides, I am getting a strong sense of discomfort coming from both of you – that tells me the two of you haven't hit the next base in your relationship yet."

Paige was the first to recover from Toby's statement.

Walter, however, needed a few extra minutes to wrap his mind around Toby's words. They were almost too much for him to comprehend. He was still stuck on the word 'quickie' – a word which triggered several provocative thoughts of the woman sitting next to him. Thoughts he hadn't had time to analyze yet.

Walter felt Paige's fingers weaving through his hair above the back of his neck and finally snapped back to reality. "Welcome back, Mr. 197." Toby said as he gave Walter a salute.

After Walter recovered from his brief trip down the rabbit hole, Paige found his hand with hers and squeezed his palm. Ignoring Toby's probing eyes, Walter clasped his other hand on top of hers as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Acting as though the last few minutes didn't happen, Walter decided it was time to return to the subject at hand. "So what did you want to ask Paige, Toby?"

"You certainly don't like to beat around the bush," Toby mumbled as Walter shot him a glare. Toby cleared his throat and looked at Paige. "First of all; before I ask anything, I want you to know I figured some things out on my own so if my conclusions are correct and if you told them to Walt before this little rendezvous, then I'll have you know he wouldn't confirm any of my speculations. Instead, he thought it would be more prudent if I spoke with the source, but if you wanted _my _opini—"

"We don't," Walter quickly cut in.

"Right. Moving on. Anyway," Toby took off his hat, twirled it and then placed it on top of his head again, "just tell me if I'm on the right track here, Paige. And I apologize in advanced if this information is a sore subject, but knowing the facts is crucial for what I've found out about Drew."

"Go on." Paige said. Walter recognized her tone of voice and deduced that she was seeking for comfort. As a result, he squeezed her hand as she planted a light kiss against his shoulder. This interaction did not go unnoticed by the behaviorist.

Both Toby and Walter spent ten minutes explaining everything they had uncovered about Drew and his alias, Spencer Thomas to Paige. She blinked several times as they fed her the information, and when Toby mentioned the part about the real Spencer Thomas missing, Paige inquired whether or not Toby and Walter thought Drew had killed the man for his identity. Toby gave Paige the same explanation as he had given Sylvester.

Walter noticed how the color had drained from Paige's usually rosy cheeks and didn't like how pale she looked. "Perhaps we should take a break." Walter intervened as he squeezed Paige's hand.

"Perhaps you're right." Toby nodded as he stood up and stretched his legs. Based on the behaviorist's actions, Walter deduced that Toby saw what he had also seen. "Information overload is a god-awful thing so I'll go downstairs and do some more digging. Maybe Sly'll need some help."

As Toby sauntered off, Paige slowly rose to her feet and pushed her hair out of her face. "I'm gonna…," she inhaled a deep breath and then released it slowly, "check on Ralph." She made it as far as Walter's bedroom door before she stopped walking. Her fingers were wrapped around the handle, but she didn't pull on the latch.

"Paige?" Walter called out for her as he approached her. "Are you all right?"

She didn't answer.

"Paige?" he called her name again as he stood directly behind her. His instincts told him to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how to do so. She muttered something, but it was too soft to understand. "Is there something I can do?" Walter was willing to do _anything _to help solve her problem. He knew why she was upset, but he didn't think there was an analytical approach as to help her feel better. But he gave it his best shot anyway. "Remember when I told Ralph that he was the king on the chessboard?"

Paige nodded as he wrapped his arms around her torso and planted his chin against the crook off her neck.

"And that I told him you were the queen?"

Again, she nodded.

"And that I was the pawn?"

She finally turned around in his embrace and locked into his hard gaze. "Yes," she muttered softly.

"Well," Walter whispered as she hooked her arms around his neck. "The king is not the only royal piece in the game in which the pawns want to protect." Paige's cheeks flushed as a small grin found her lips. He committed the curvature to memory.

Walter didn't know exactly as to what was bothering her, but he knew the source, and he wanted her to feel safe with him by her side. He had told her from time and time again that she and Ralph were safe inside the walls of the garage, that the Cyclone was a safe fortress for them to stay, but of all of the times he had told Paige that she and Ralph were safe, he had always implied the phrase, 'as long as you are with the team.'

Both Toby and Happy could hold their own, and Cabe was authorized to use a sidearm if needed. Walter had always incorporated his team members into his equation whenever he had assured that Paige and Ralph were safe. However, this time was different. He wasn't including Cabe, Toby, Happy nor Sylvester into his algorithm; he was only including Ralph, Paige and himself. _He _had wanted to be the one Paige and Ralph ran to when they were scared; _he had _wanted to be their safe haven, but until this very moment, he didn't know how to express his feelings into a way he could comprehend on an analytical level.

Paige placed all of her weight onto the tips of her toes as she pulled Walter into a chaste kiss. "I know," her smile widened slightly before her lips found his again. She nibbled on his bottom lip and then strategically coaxed him into an open-mouth kiss where her tongue gently touched his, sending shocks of electricity throughout his body. He had half-expected himself to freeze in response to her forwardness, but he felt a sense of comfort with her. In response to Paige's boldness, Walter instinctively swooped the woman into his arms and carried her over to one of the couches.

He didn't understand what sort of feelings had swept over him, but he had a sudden desire to hold her. Kiss her. Analyze every curvature of her body and commit them to memory. He lowered her onto the couch and climbed over top of her until their bodies were perfectly aligned. He could feel heat radiating from her skin as he kissed her and kissed her and kissed her. Several minutes passed, but Walter didn't care to count the seconds. What he was experiencing with Paige felt timeless.

As Paige tightened her embrace around his shoulders, she wrapped her legs around his hips. Walter found his mouth trailing from her lips to the nape of her neck, and it was perhaps the most visceral thing he had ever experienced. When he heard a soft moan echo from Paige's lips, he pulled away from her and every rational thought that had fled from his mind came crashing back.

In seconds, he wormed his way out of her clutches and took a few steps away from her. "This isn't right." He had gone over the potentialities of this moment inside his mind several times in the past – he knew _it_ was a possibility _one day_, but he had never expected to lose control over himself like that. He had never lost that much control over his sexual desires (he would be a fool to deny his sexual attraction to Paige) with his ex-girlfriends, but then again, he had never _desired _any woman before Paige. His ex-girlfriends were merely women who had 'helped' him release certain tensions when he needed them released.

He _desired _Paige in more ways than one; did he want to explore their physical relationship one day? God, yes. But she was more than just someone he sexually desired; he wanted her by his side every single moment of his life. He had never brought his ex-girlfriends home to the garage - he figured one mentally enabled person was enough. Aside from Happy, Paige was the first woman Walter had invited into his home and had asked to stay. That, alone, had to mean something to him, and he was definitely determined to figure it out. He also needed her courage; she was not afraid to stand up to him, and he depended on that sort of strength to help him function in the normal world.

Paige bit her lip and sat up; her cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry for…ambushing you like that."

Walter inhaled a deep breath and sat down beside her. "You're not the one who…lost control." Walter gulped, slightly embarrassed as to how disoriented he looked. His tie was askew, his collar was discombobulated and he was a little…aroused in result of the last few minutes. He hoped Paige wouldn't notice.

Paige laughed. "I think it's safe to say we _both _lost a little bit of control." She straightened out her shirt as Walter tightened his tie.

"I'm…," he wasn't sure how to word his feelings; the last time he tried the analytical approach, they ended up on the couch, nearly mauling each other with their over-curious hands and lips and tongues. Walter inwardly tossed the last few minutes into his little feelings box to analyze later; he didn't have time to handle his feelings right now; he had to maintain his focus on Drew and find something incriminating so the deranged lunatic would never bother them again. "…_flattered_ that you seem to want what I _also _want," he was going to be frank with her. She blushed as he voiced his blatant desire for her, "but I don't think now is a very good time to explore that part in our relationship."

"I agree," Paige nodded as she crossed one leg over the other. "We can't afford to be reckless – especially with what's going on with Drew."

"Exactly," Walter muttered.

After Paige rose to her feet and stretched her muscles, she told Walter she was going to make a phone call to her landlord and let him know _not _to let anyone into her apartment unless she was present. He thought that would be a good idea so as she walked off for some privacy, Walter snuck away to the bathroom to take care of a certain 'problem.'

**~ SCORPION ~**

When Walter returned to where he had left Paige, he found her ending her phone call as she was approaching his bedroom. "I'm going to go and check on Ralph now."

He followed her down the hallway while she opened his bedroom door.

"You need rest," he noted as Paige stepped inside.

"I've had enough rest for the day," Paige whispered. "If I sleep anymore today, I won't be able to sleep tonight." He doubted she would be able to sleep at all that night after everything she had just learned and what they had physically experienced. "Which is why," she gently shook her son, "I need to wake Ralph up." The boy's eyes fluttered open to the soft nudges his mother was giving him in the shoulder and lifted his head off of the pillow. He yawned and then stretched. "Hey sweetie," Paige muttered loud enough for Walter to hear her voice as well, "Time to get up so you can sleep tonight."

"Okay," he nodded and then pushed himself upward. His deep brown eyes found Walter's. "Hi Walter." Ralph smiled.

"Hi." Walter bent down and ruffled the boy's hair. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," he yawned as he hopped off of Walter's bed.

"Are you hungry?" Paige asked as she gave the boy a quick embrace.

"Yeah." Ralph repeated his answer as he placed his hand on the doorknob.

Walter pulled out his phone and looked at the time. As they walked out of Walter's bedroom, Cabe was standing a few feet in front of them. He did not look very happy.

"Is something wrong?" Walter inquired as Paige wrapped her arm around his waist and placed her other hand on Ralph's shoulder.

"Unfortunately, yes." Cabe nodded.

"Stop being evasive Cabe." Walter frowned. "Did Toby or Sly find something?"

Cabe's face was hard to read, but whatever was going on, it wasn't pleasant.

"Ralph, honey, why don't you go downstairs and ask Sylvester if he wants to play chess with you." Paige patted Ralph's shoulder before bending down to kiss the top of his head.

"And if he doesn't?" Ralph asked.

"Don't worry," Walter forced a smile; "I'm sure he'd love to."

"Okay." Ralph nodded and left for the stairs. Walter quickly pulled out his phone and texted Sylvester to keep Ralph occupied for a while. When the human calculator confirmed, Walter looked back at Cabe and tried to analyze his facial expressions.

The skill was a lot harder than he had given Toby credit for.

"What's wrong, Cabe?" Paige asked; the cheery tone she had used for Ralph shifted into a shaky, soft voice. Walter snaked his arms behind her back as a way to comfort and support her.

"Toby and Sylvester managed to lift an IP address after hacking into Portland's DMV database and traced the update to Drew's alias's information to a man named Tucker Taylor."

"Tucker Taylor?" Paige reiterated as she touched her fingers to her lips.

"You know him?" Cabe and Walter asked in unison.

"Not really; he was some kid who Drew bullied into doing his homework back in high school. Tucker was one of our school's top students; he was a computer prodigy. Nothing like Walter, of course, but he knew his stuff." Paige explained. Walter could only wonder what Cabe was withholding from them. "Why?"

"Well, after Toby gave me a name, I made a few calls. Tucker Taylor was the victim of a heinous murder three years ago. Same MO." Cabe crossed his arms in front of him. "Only this time, someone actually had the gull to call it a homicide and not a suicide. The good news: the perpetrator was caught, meaning Drew was most likely _not _the person responsible for killing that woman, Kathleen; the bad news: the perp was just one of many members of a dangerous gang from the Chicago area. This gang is one of the most powerful groups in Chicago – they're responsible for riots, drug cartels, murders, loan sharking, you name it. They've done it. The only reason they haven't been caught is because they're freakin' good at covering their tracks."

"So what does this gang have to do with Drew?" Walter asked.

"Not sure," Cabe shrugged, "But because our current information has been linked to a gang-related murder, Merrick wants you thick skulls to analyze everything and see where your angle takes you. As of right now, Drew Baker is the leading, living link you may have to one of America's most dangerous gangs; I suggest we bring him in tomorrow and convince him to talk."

Walter knew it would be best to obtain as much information from Drew as they could. Cabe could have a gun pointing at Drew for all he cared. "Fine, but if we're going to do that, then I don't want Paige or Ralph present at the garage while Drew is here."

"Don't worry about that. He ain't going to come to the garage; we're taking him to Homeland." Cabe smirked. "We need him to squirm, and since he obviously doesn't feel threatened by you or the rest of the team, we're going to be doing things my way this time."

Walter nodded. For the sake of Ralph's and Paige's safety, he was willing to let Cabe take the lead on the interrogation. Walter didn't trust himself to be in the same room as that lowly piece of filth.

"Good talk." Cabe said and then headed for the stairs. "By the way, I ordered pizza. It should be arriving shortly." As Cabe left Walter and Paige alone in the loft, they stood silently as they both processed the past few minutes, and when they finally came back to reality, they descended to the lower level.

Paige made her way over to Ralph as Walter sidestepped his way to Toby.

"Yes?" Toby's eyebrow lifted.

"Interrogation room." Walter stated. "Now."

"Okaaaay?" Toby responded as he circled around his desk and followed Walter across the garage and into the interrogation room. "What is it, Walt?" Toby asked when the door was closed.

"First, you have to _promise _me this won't leave this room."

"Don't worry, Walt. I am perfectly capable of keeping secrets – I'm a shrink, remember? I have a code to semi-morally live by." Toby replied. "Besides, I have my hat on; nothing can go wrong."

Walter rolled his eyes. "I knew this was too much to ask of you," Walter gritted as he placed his hand on the door.

"Hey, Walt. What's eating you?" Toby inquired as he stopped Walter from leaving the interrogation room. Toby took off his hat and placed it on the table. "You have my undivided attention."

Walter sighed. "Okay." He turned around and sat down at the table as Toby did the same. "Something…happened earlier."

"What do you mean?"

"Something…primal…" Walter gulped. "Uncontrollably primal."

"Like what?" Toby lifted an eyebrow; he was reaching for more context.

"Paige and I…, we…uh…got a little carried away earlier…. My…my desires for her," Walter swore he was going to punch the behaviorist if the shrink was going to start laughing at him, "shifted…to something visceral, and it almost didn't stop."

"How did it stop?" Toby encouraged Walter to answer.

"That's not important." Walter deadpanned. "The fact is, it did…eventually…stop. But…, at the time…, I felt… out of control."

"Well, have you ever been out of control with other women?" Toby inquired.

"No." Walter shook his head.

Walter could tell that Toby was trying to hide his impending laughter. "Have you ever had strong," Toby snorted, "strong desires for any other woman?"

"It's not funny. And no. I haven't." Walter frowned.

"I think you'll survive." Toby bit his lip as he patted Walter's shoulder.

"I'm not going to enter into some aggressive sexual state, am I?" Walter couldn't believe what he was asking Toby; he knew the behaviorist was going to have a field day with him now.

"Well…, I wouldn't put that out of the realm of possibility." Toby shrugged. "It just looks like you've got a serious case of sexual tension built up, my man." Toby extended his hand for a high five, but Walter wasn't in the giving mood. Toby awkwardly retracted his hand and continued, "After a while, when sexual tension is built up, it sometimes releases in an out of control manner – kind of like your anger, Walt. You hold your anger all in, and at the last minute, KABLOOMY!" Toby waved his hands into the air. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. As long as you give in to your desires every once in a while – especially if you're not ready to pull the sex trigger yet – you should be good. It's not uncommon for people with high IQs to have high levels of sexual aggression, Walt. While I know you ultimately care for Paige and all, I would give you a word of caution. You tend to take out your anger by either smashing crockery or doing something utterly reckless – like Lamborghini racing against some Russian mob dude. Everyone handles stress and anger differently, but you have to remember that sexual intercourse is also a mode of release, so to speak. I would highly recommend against replacing your _meditative _methods – if that's what you wanna call it – with sex. Whenever you and Paige are ready, Walt, you don't want her to be the main target for your frustrations. Not if you want your relationship to last."

"Okay. Thanks." Walter replied and immediately left the interrogation room. For the first time in a long time, Walter felt as though Toby was being frank with him. He mostly hated Toby's psychoanalyzing methods and his advice, but occasionally the behaviorist pulled through and delivered useful advice. Walter understood what Toby was saying, and he couldn't believe he was admitting it, but the behaviorist was right. Walter had to be careful; if he allowed his sexual desires to cloud his judgment and hijack his mind, he didn't think he'd be able to come out of his trance until his body was satisfied.

It would be a fate worse than the rabbit hole.

And that remote possibility terrified him to no end.

**~ SCORPION ~**

* * *

><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

Another super, super long one! What did you think!?

PS) I got my friend into Scorpion! :) We did a podcast over the episode and posted it onto our Tumblr page: xxsomethingbiggerxx

Check it out! :)


	24. Chapter 24

**WriterFreak001: **

As always, thank you for the continued support! This chapter should make the story more than 100,000 words! :D

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 24**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

While Walter, Paige and Toby stood behind a glass window at the Homeland office, they listened in on Cabe interrogating Drew. Walter wasn't pleased that Paige had insisted on viewing the interrogation; he thought it would be best if both of them had stayed at the garage, but Paige was adamant about going. And there was no way he was going to let her go alone. Ralph was safe with Happy and Sly at the garage so Walter was a little more at ease with the thought of being in the same building as that scumbag. As Paige tightly held his hand, Walter's eyes burned through the glass and glared into Drew's eyes. The washed-up baseball player couldn't see them beyond the glass, but Walter wasn't going to remove his gaze for a single second.

Cabe slid a picture towards Drew. "You know this man?"

Drew glanced at the picture for a second, flecked his eyes towards the glass window and then shook his head. "No."

"He's lying." Toby muttered into his com device.

"Oh really?" Cabe frowned as he responded to Drew's statement and slid the picture back towards him. "Lying during an investigation is a felony so I suggest you look again." Cabe slid another set of scans towards Drew, "I have some talented friends who were able to obtain scans of your old high school yearbook. If you don't know Mr. Taylor, then can you explain why the two of you attended the same high school in St. Louis?"

"It's a big school," Drew shrugged.

Toby noticed how the corner of Drew's lip twitched. "Make him nervous," Toby mumbled; "Ask him if he knows how Tucker Taylor died. If he doesn't, give him the most gruesome description you can come up with."

Cabe frowned and glared at Drew. "Big school, huh?" Out of nowhere, Cabe grabbed Drew's collar and lifted him off of the chair before slamming him against the wall. While Walter's hard expression didn't change, Paige's hand covered her mouth as Toby's eyes popped wide open as his lips formed a grin. "Listen here, hot shot." Cabe voice darkened, "you claim you don't know Tucker Taylor, but I've got a valuable source which states otherwise. Now _you _are going to start talking right now if you don't want to end up like your friend. And trust me, you will suffer more hell under my jurisdiction than your friend did when his brains were splattered onto the wall by a ruthless member of the Leviathan Mafia." Cabe pressed his arm against Drew's neck to cut off his air supply. "If you don't want your neck broken, I suggest you start talking." Cabe spat as he released Drew from his improvised choke-hold and thrust him to the floor.

Drew coughed and coddled his throat. Cabe lifted his foot and aimed it towards Drew's face, but before Cabe acted, Drew threw his hands in front of him and defended himself, caving into Cabe's demands. "Okay! Okay! I'll talk!"

He started to rise to his feet, but Cabe pushed him back down. "Don't you even dare think about it."

Toby pressed his fingers to his ear and spoke into his com device. "Cabe, either move him to where I'll be able to see his face or let me into room. Handcuff him for all I care."

Cabe grunted as he slapped a pair of cuffs onto Drew's wrists before opening the door for Toby to walk in. Walter wondered what the psychoanalyst had up his sleeves. "That was a beautiful maneuver, by the way." Toby gave Cabe a thumbs up.

"Don't make me regret letting you in here." Cabe snapped as he grabbed Drew's shoulder and shoved him into a chair.

"I have rights, you know." Drew suddenly said.

"We do things a little bit differently here." Cabe folded his arms in front of him. "Due to the sensitivity of the case, I have Homeland's full cooperation in letting me handle things off the record for once."

"Really?" Toby's eyebrows lifted. "Damn. That's cool."

"No one asked you." Cabe frowned. "Now are you going to do your thing or what?"

"Patience is a virtue, Cabe." Toby muttered before turning towards Drew. Toby took a seat and twirled his hat before placing it back onto his head. "Hello, Drew. I believe we met once or twice when you tried kidnapping a little buddy of mine."

Drew rolled his eyes. "He's _my _son."

"Oh yeah?" Toby chuckled and then his voice grew more serious. Toby opened the casefile and pulled out a picture. He slid it over towards Drew. "And this is supposedly your wife – or rather, your alias's wife. So you can see why letting you near Ralph is a sore subject right now."

"I did not kill Kathleen." Drew sighed.

"In case you don't know what I do," Toby changed the subject, "I'm a world class behaviorist – better than those freaky Mentalist mind games some people like to play on stage with college students. Basically, I'm a human lie detector so don't even try lying to me; it's futile. Oh, and for the _not_-record, I believe you didn't kill Kathleen," Toby said, causing Drew to lift an eyebrow. "But you know who _did _kill her, don't you." It wasn't a question.

Drew pressed his lips to a hard line and heaved a loud sigh. "Yes and no."

"Well which is it?" Cabe interjected.

Drew looked at Cabe. "I'm not talking anymore until I get full immunity."

"Full immunity my ass!" Cabe shouted as he knocked over one of the chairs.

That was when Walter finally spoke through his com device. "Cabe! A word outside."

"I'll be right back," Cabe spoke through gritted teeth and left Toby and Drew in the interrogation room as he slipped into the side room to meet Walter and Paige. "What is it, kid?" he barked.

"Give him what he wants." Walter muttered.

"What?!" Paige exclaimed as Cabe shouted, "Are you freakin' nuts?!"

"Just…let me explain. Make a deal; tell him he'll get what he wants if he cooperates. That'll give us some leverage because he'll disclose everything he knows and will bring _us _closer to incriminating him."

"Has your IQ dropped, Walter?" Cabe threw his hands into the air. "You can't incriminate someone who has full immunity."

"I wasn't done," Walter replied as he squeezed Paige's hand, assuring her that everything should work out if done correctly. "You give him immunity, he gives us what we want. Sylvester is looking into that battery charge and anything else which might incriminate Drew that is _not _related to this case. While he may have immunity for this particular case, that does not excuse him from having immunity granted for other cases, am I correct?"

"In theory, yes." Cabe nodded, "But I can't even grant him immunity; that's up to the prosecution in court."

"Then…tell him you'll see what you can do…put in a good word to the DOJ or whoever handles those kinds of things. As long as you find a way to convince him that you're on his side, that should be good enough." Walter said. "Meanwhile, _if _he somehow _gets _immunity, then I can easily erase him. It won't be long before he does something stupid and gets himself arrested."

"I can see you've thought this out." Cabe sighed. "I guess it's worth a try."

"Wait," Paige said, causing both Walter and Cabe to snap their attentions towards her.

"What?" Cabe and Walter asked in unison.

"We might not have to be so drastic." Paige said as she looked towards the interrogation room. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need to go in there."

"Absolutely not!" Cabe shook his head. Walter simply stared at her, wondering if she'd lost her mind.

"Before Drew tried to take away Ralph, he said he wanted to talk. I blatantly ignored him because I didn't want to hear him out. If I hadn't ignored him and kept him away from Ralph, we might not even be _in _this mess right now." Paige squeezed Walter's hand. "Toby is here so he'll be able to tell if Drew is lying. If I'm alone with him, he might just talk." Paige looked towards the interrogation room.

"Paige," Cabe folded his arms in front of him, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I agree." Walter nodded.

"I'm not asking for anyone's permission." Paige frowned. "You keep telling me I will thrive in Scorpion, Walter. I haven't been on a lot of cases since the terrorist incident so how am I going to prove my worth to the team if I can't even get my ex-husband to talk? Trust me, he's never going around my son again, but I _need _to do this – not just for myself, but for Ralph and for the team."

Cabe ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, but –"

"Cabe, you can't be serious." Walter cut him off.

"Paige's got a point, kid. Drew might just open up if he speaks to Paige." Cabe patted Walter's shoulder. "I don't like it either, Walter, but we've got to at least give her a chance. Drew is cuffed so he can't be a danger to her. If he does something stupid, I'll be right at the door, ready to open in and punch his face til it's black, blue and ugly."

"Thanks Cabe." Paige smiled.

"You're welcome." Cabe nodded with softer eyes. "I'll go fetch Toby."

As Cabe disappeared, Paige gripped Walter's face. He avoided her gaze. "Hey," she whispered, "I'll be okay. I promise."

He remained silent.

"Okay," she sighed and withdrew her hands from his face as she headed for the door. Walter, however, grabbed her wrist, causing her to stop walking.

"I don't want you to do this." He muttered softly.

"I know," Paige nodded.

"Then why?" Walter inquired.

"Because I have to." Paige muttered as she turned around and planted a soft kiss against his cheek. "I _need _to."

"Okay." Walter mumbled; having Paige coax Drew into disclosing his connection with the Leviathan Mafia was the most efficient way of gathering information – he should not have been blinded to that fact, but his intense feelings for Paige Dineen had clouded his judgment.

"Thanks for understanding." Paige whispered as she hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him into a quick kiss before Cabe and Toby walked into the room. Paige placed her hand on the handle and drew in a deep breath before opening the door and walking through it.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

Walter's gaze was like laser beams against her back, but Paige Dineen didn't let her boyfriend's hero complex keep her away from doing what she needed to do. When she walked into the interrogation room, Drew smirked.

"Well, of all of the people I expected to see today, you certainly weren't one of them." Drew replied as Paige sat down in front of him.

"I'm not here for a social visit." Paige folded her arms in order to remain distant from him. "You said you wanted to talk several weeks ago; I ignored you because I was still mad at you for leaving. But I'm here now so…what did you want to talk about?"

"You know, Paige; I'm not as stupid as you think I am. I know what you're trying to do." Drew frowned as he tried sitting up in his chair. "You don't think I know that there are people on the other side of that glass," he looked towards the _mirror_, "watching and listening to every word we say?"

Paige decided to approach Drew from a different angle. "Since you're so smart, Drew, I'm going to tell you something you'll understand." Paige opened up the casefile and showed Drew pictures of Tucker's, Kathleen's and Spencer's bodies. Drew began to look very uncomfortable. "I don't think you intentionally wanted to leave Ralph and me seven years ago."

"Good. You struck a nerve." Toby's voice muttered into her ear. "Keep going."

"Tread carefully, though." Cabe whispered. "We don't want him lashing out for any reason."

Paige discreetly gave her coworkers a nod before continuing. "All night I've been trying to figure you out…, and a lot of things didn't make sense. Yes, you have a temper. Yes, you can get a little obsessive at times, but I know you would never hurt Ralph. For the time you were with us, you were a good father. You seemed onboard with the idea of meeting us up in Los Angeles after your season was over. So what happened, Drew? What changed your mind?"

Drew remained silent.

"Lips are twitching; that's a good sign. It means he wants to talk, but is holding back for some reason." Toby mumbled into Paige's eardrum. "Leaving you and Ralph seems to be a sore subject; make him feel sorry for what he did."

Paige reflected back to the night she and Drew eloped. Paige went directly to their hotel room to go to bed early, while Drew said he was going to hit the slots. That was the first time Drew had ever gambled, and she had to wonder if he ever stopped, or if he went too far one time and lost a great sum of money. "The night we eloped, you left to go gambling; you wanted to see if you could raise a great sum of money for our growing family. But when you returned back to the hotel room empty-handed, you weren't in a very good mood. I told you not to gamble again, and you promised you wouldn't, but something tells me Vegas wasn't the last time you gambled."

He gulped.

"You're getting warmer. Keep going." Toby encouraged her.

Paige tapped on her ear to confirm Toby's suggestion. She stood up and leaned over the table. "How much money did it take to drive you away from your son for seven years and make him wonder when his father was going to come home?! What was your bargaining price?! Huh? You want to know something?" Paige was growing angry; it was not hard for the others to tell that Drew's departure had hurt her more than she had been letting on. "For the longest time, Ralph thought he was the reason you left. He thought _you _left us because he frequently frustrated you. So tell me, Drew. How much money did it cost for you to destroy your son's heart and break mine?!"

"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT!" Drew shouted as he stood up from his seat.

"Oh?! Then how was it like?!" Paige didn't back down even though she could hear some noise in the background. Toby and Cabe were calling Walter's name, and she heard Walter's agitated grunts; it wasn't hard to realize that Toby and Cabe were trying to hold Walter back from storming into the interrogation room. "We know you're involved with the Leviathan Mafia in some way; we also know that _these _murders are all linked to _you_. That _can't_ be a coincidence so if you care about your son, you better start talking and put an end to all of this or else the Leviathan Mafia might target Ralph as their next victim." She felt sick admitting to that reality, but if Drew was submerged in something he shouldn't have gotten himself involved in, Ralph's life – or even hers – might be in jeopardy.

"If I talk, I'm a dead man." Drew had calmed down.

"And if you don't, Ralph will most likely take your place." Paige's eyes started to well up, but she wouldn't falter. She jabbed her finger into his chest and held back the urge to strike him in the nose. "So you better tell Agent Cabe Gallo _everything_ because if _you _refuse to talk and something happens to Ralph, you will face a fate far worse than death."

"Damn! Don't mess with Mama Paige." Toby exclaimed, but Paige ignored him.

"So what's it going to be?" She backed away from Drew.

"And shoulders will slump in three, two, one," Drew's shoulder's fell as he sat down. "Now give us a sigh." Toby mumbled right before Drew released a heavy sigh. "I love being right." Toby beamed and then added, "Okay, he's willing to talk. Good job, Paige."

The only words Drew said were, "Fine. I'll talk."

"You better." Paige spat before she turned around and headed through the door as Cabe patted her back and took her place.

"You were on FIRE in there! You should interrogate more often, Paige." Toby extended his hand for a high five, but she wasn't in the mood to give him one.

As Toby retracted his hand, Paige approached Walter and said, "I don't want to be here anymore."

"But don't you want to find out what Drew's been hiding?" Toby asked as Paige wrapped her arms around Walter for some much needed comfort. She felt sick in that interrogation room; she didn't want to be in there, but she knew she had to be in order to get Drew to talk. Thinking about how broken she was after she realized Drew was never going to return made her want to vomit. She did not handle Drew's disappearance very well, and it took a long time to recover from the depressive state he had sent her into.

"Not from him." Paige swallowed the bile in her throat. Paige knew that if she stayed around to hear Drew's excuses, she couldn't be held responsible for her actions. It doesn't matter what sort of crap Drew had gotten himself mixed up in; that man broke her heart, and she doubted she would ever forgive him.

Walter removed his com device out of his ear and placed it on a table. Paige did the same. "Tell Cabe we've left when he comes back in here." Walter said before kissing Paige's forehead.

"Fine. If you say so." Toby replied as Walter and Paige conjoined their hands and walked towards the exit. All Paige wanted to do was go back to the garage, hug her son and let him know how grateful she is that Ralph is in her life. Despite everything Drew had done to her, he did give her the one gift she would never regret receiving, and she was going to cherish Ralph for as long as she lives.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

Yes, this chapter is a little bit shorter than the previous one, but I thought this would be a great place to stop and leave some mystery for the next installment. As much as I want people to see Drew as a bad guy, I've decided to make him more misunderstood than evil. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and will see an opportunity to try and right his mistakes (you will learn more about this in the next chapter.)

Also, just because the Drew debacle may be almost over, this fiction will still be going on because there's a lot more, I think, I could take this story. After the main premise of "Deception" is complete, the next chapters may focus more on Paige's PTSD from that one case which might lead to something bigger. :)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one _should _be up either tonight or tomorrow.

PS. I hope this chapter wasn't confusing since there were two scenes happening at once; i.e. both interrogations with Drew and Toby's commentary from the other side of the glass.

Don't forget to review (FFN)/ comment (AO3)! :D


	25. Chapter 25

**WriterFreak001: **

Ugh…. Trying to find a degree-related job sucks. :( If only FFN could be a full-time job. :/

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 25**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

For hours, Paige didn't leave Ralph's side. She continued to learn how to play chess with the boy as well as asked him to teach her various mathematical equations. She only understood a fraction of what her son was writing on the board. Walter was at his desk and watched the pair interact with one another; it was quite the amusing sight, especially when Paige would discreetly scratch her head in response to her son's calculations.

Paige finally left Ralph's side and made her way over towards Walter. She linked her fingers with his as he stood up and caught her gaze. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier while I was interrogating Drew."

"Your interrogation was profitable; you don't need to apologize for being efficient." Walter replied and then added, "But I appreciate your concern and accept your apology regardless of how it might or might not have made me feel internally." Heat radiated within Walter's cheeks as Paige pulled him in for a loving embrace.

After a few minutes of bliss, Paige pulled away and cupped his cheeks. "Now, what I want you to do is go to the hospital and pick up your sister; we're not going to let Drew ruin our plans for tonight. I told you sister she was going to have dinner with us today, and that is _exactly _what we're going to do."

"I don't think that's a good idea – not after everything we've learned yesterday and today." Walter replied, but when Paige's glare registered inside his mind, he ran his hand through his hair and groaned. "Fine. But I don't want Megan roped into all of this."

"Neither do I so we'll act like nothing is going on." Paige muttered before giving him a peck on the lips. "Now go; if you don't leave now, you'll be late." He nodded as she handed him her keys. "Be safe." Paige whispered before kissing him once more.

As Walter was on his way to the door, Paige walked over to Ralph, kissed him on the head and then walked up the stairs towards the loft. She needed some coffee.

**~ SCORPION ~**

Walter returned half an hour later with his sister and was disappointed to learn that Cabe and Toby weren't back yet from Homeland Security HQ. He wanted to know what was going on with Drew the moment he left the headquarters, but he didn't want to force Paige to listen to something she wasn't ready to hear.

After he helped his sister take a seat on the couch next to his desk, he checked in on Happy who was working on designing some video cameras for the perimeter. However, when he noticed she was too focused to talk, he decided to forego his inquiry and make his way over to Sylvester, who was fiddling with his Rubik's Cube.

"How is the search going?" Walter asked as he folded his arms in front of him, forcing Sylvester to look up from his cube; however, his hands did not stop twisting and turning it.

"The battery charge went nowhere, but something you and Toby said yesterday got me thinking; if Drew stole the real Spencer Thomas's credit card information, that's a felony. He was stealing from someone else's account so if whatever happens at HQ doesn't send him to jail, you could always play that card since you have background knowledge on being a forensic analyst." Sylvester shrugged. "I mean it's worth a shot, isn't it?"

"Thanks, buddy. That'll definitely be helpful. After dinner, get some rest; the information will be there tomorrow so don't worry about finding anymore Intel tonight – not unless we receive new information from Cabe." Walter patted Sylvester's shoulder and then walked over to his sister. "You and Sylvester hit it off the last time you were here, if I recall correctly. Why don't you go and talk with him? I'm sure he'd be happy to talk some more."

"Since when did you become a match maker, Walter?" Megan laughed as she rose to her feet. "I think Paige is having a good influence on you; she should be proud of the improvement in your EQ."

Walter rolled his eyes as his sister hobbled over towards Sylvester's desk. He spotted Ralph on Paige's computer. He walked over to the boy, ruffled his hair and asked Ralph if he knew where his mom was.

Without a word, Ralph pointed towards the stairs and then resumed to his Minesweeper game. Walter patted the boy's shoulder and then left for the stairs. He made his way up to the loft but found no trace of Paige. He then walked to his bedroom, thinking she might have decided to take a nap – he wouldn't blame her; she did seem rather tired on the way back to the garage. When he entered his bedroom, Paige wasn't where he thought she was, but he did notice steam flowing out of the cracks of the bathroom door. He saw one of the clean sets of clothes Paige had forced him to retrieve from her apartment yesterday and put two and two together. He turned to leave his bedroom, not wanting to disturb her, but as a soft tune danced into his ears, curiosity bested him. He walked towards the bathroom door and pressed his ear against it. Paige was softly singing to an old tune which happened to be one of Megan's favorite songs; he never understood why, though. The lyrics were about an unrequited romance – he recognized the feelings that were involved in such an ordeal, but he could never comprehend as to why someone else's depression (the song) was another person's pleasure. It was absolutely mindboggling to him.

And yet, he still couldn't help but listen to Paige's pleasing voice….

"…don't patronize me…. 'Cuz I can't make you love me if you don't…. You can't make your heart feel somethin' it won't…. Here in the dark in these final hours…. I will lay down my heart, and I'll feel the power. But you won't… no you won't. 'Cuz I can't make you love me…, if you don't…."

Walter wondered why she had chosen to sing such a song; he had heard of people singing for no apparent reason – Toby did it sometimes, but what if there was more to why she was singing those lyrics? Was it something she was also feeling? He had thought he made himself very clear as to whom she was to him. As he continued to hear her sing, he lost himself within his thoughts and tried to analyze possible reasons as to why Paige would sing that song. He didn't realize how long he had been standing in front of the door until the door swung open to reveal Paige in nothing but a skimpy, white towel wrapped around her chest.

He immediately froze as his eyes scanned up her body. He gulped when he saw the humiliated shock emanating through her wide gaze. "W-walter?!" she quietly shrieked as she clutched the towel around her body for extra security. "W-what a-are you d-doing?" Her cheeks flushed.

Walter pressed his lips together, gulped, ran his hand through his hair and then wheeled around on his heels before marching his way out of his bedroom in order to avoid answering her question. He grabbed a coffee cup from the counter within the loft, filled it with coffee and chugged it down in place of an alcoholic beverage he could really use at the moment. In order to keep himself from processing what had just happened, he walked straight to his blackboard and started jotting down various algorithms.

When Paige walked out of his bedroom, wearing a blue blouse and black jeans, he pretended to ignore her and continued writing whatever came to his mind. "Cabe should be back by now," he found himself saying as he heard her sit down on one of the couches.

"Okay," Paige nodded. "We don't have to meet him just yet."

"Don't you want to know about Drew's testimony?" Walter asked as he finally looked at her.

"Yes, but it can wait." Paige shrugged.

"Are you sure?" He asked while he placed the chalk down on the chalk rack and approached her.

"Yes." Paige replied as he sat down next to her. When he sat down, she caught him off guard and climbed on top of him until her legs straddled over his lap. She gripped the back of the sofa and said, "You can't run away this time," she whispered into his ear. He gulped. "Why did I find you standing directly in front of the bathroom door; I'm sure you knew I was in there." She raised an eyebrow.

"S-Surely I can answer your question without all of the theatrics," Walter stuttered as he tried his hardest not to think about the sensations Paige was making him feel below his belt.

"Perhaps," she shrugged as one of her hands weaved through his hair. "But think of this as another experiment."

"In the past, your experiments were aimed at helping me relate to normals; how does _this _do the same?" Walter asked as he cleared his throat and gestured down below.

"Well," she pressed her lips against his, "It helps you gain more control over your comfort zone; you're going to have to interact with people, and the more comfortable you appear around them, the more they will see Scorpion as a reputable company."

As she lowered her lips to kiss him again, he pulled away and muttered, "I think someone's coming."

"Nice try; I'm not falling for that one," Paige laughed as she pulled him into a deep kiss. He nearly lost his resolve when he felt her tongue swipe against his. His arms instinctively wrapped around her as she bucked her hips against his. He couldn't help the guttural sound that emitted from his throat.

"Man, this is a LOT better than the movies!" Toby exclaimed, causing both Paige and Walter to jump apart from one another.

"What the hell do we need to do to keep the two of you from mauling each other every time you guys are alone!?" Cabe asked as he came into their line of sight. "No funny business during a case!"

"Since when?" Toby lifted an eyebrow.

"Since now." Cabe frowned. "Walter, I'd like to talk to you for a minute."

Walter nodded and followed Cabe into the other side of the loft where the stairs were in view. "What is it?" Walter asked, acting as though Cabe and Toby hadn't just caught him and Paige doing _very _inappropriate things out in the open. They were lucky it wasn't Ralph who walked in on them.

"Listen, kid. I get that you are crazy for Paige and all, but you need to keep your head on your shoulders while in the company of everyone else. There's thin walls between the loft and the lower compartment so even if you two were being quiet, Toby and I could hear some mentally scarring things from the stairs. Trust me; those aren't the kinds of sounds you want to be scarring Ralph with – so if the two of you are starting to go into some horny phase, then when we're not in the middle of an investigation, please find another place to venture off to and have your fun. The rest of us don't need to know every detail of your love life. Are we clear?"

"Yes." Walter answered quickly.

"Good. I suggest you to go the bathroom and clean your face and address any _other _problem you might be having before you return." Cabe replied as he patted Walter's shoulder. When the agent left to return to Toby and Paige, Walter did as Cabe suggested and sauntered to the bathroom to take care of a few things. He decided that he and Paige needed to slow things down – they just started dating two nights ago, and they were already venturing into a nearly physical relationship – a type of relationship he didn't think he was ready to have yet. He didn't think she was ready either. And he doubted they _would _be ready anytime soon.

When he returned to the other part of the loft, Toby was sitting on the couch across from Paige while Cabe was standing behind her. Cabe turned and saw Walter walk in. The agent pointed to the cushion next to Toby. "Sit." Cabe ordered. Reluctantly, Walter complied and sat across from Paige even though he wanted to sit next to her.

Just as Cabe was about to get started, Toby interjected and said, "Before we start, who want's popcorn?"

"No one wants popcorn, you idiot." Happy stated as she approached the group. "Sly is with Ralph; I'm curious to know what lies that asshat told you today." She sat down next to Paige and leaned back against the couch.

"In all honesty, unless he knows how to fool a human polygraph, everything he said was the truth." Toby shrugged. "Now, let's just sit back, relax and let Cabe give us the rundown of the new and improved reality TV show, Drew Confessions."

"Just shut up and let the man talk, doc." Happy crossed her arms.

"Me shut up? What about _you _shut up?" Toby countered.

"All right, Happy! Toby! Out!" Cabe barked. "You two don't need to be present during this little meeting seeing as one of you Einsteins already know what I'm about to tell Walter and Paige."

"But –" Toby started, but Cabe pointed towards the stairs. Happy grunted and left immediately, but Toby just had to have the last word. He stood up, circled around the couches and said, "Might as well just throw us into a pond of alligators while you're at it, Pharaoh Gallo."

Cabe sighed as Toby disappeared and sat down next to Walter. Walter, however, stood up, circled around the coffee table and then sat down next to Paige; he believed it would be more beneficial if Cabe was looking at both of them when he spoke. It would prove less strenuous to his neck if he didn't have to turn so many times. As Paige linked her hand with his and leaned against his shoulder, he urged Cabe to disclose everything he had learned while interrogating Drew. "What did you find out?"

"Drew may have gotten himself into a messy load of crap, but he's not directly responsible for the deaths of Kathleen Johnson and Tucker Taylor." Cabe replied as he leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

"What about Spencer Thomas?" Walter asked as he lifted his left eyebrow.

"That was an accident, according to Drew." Cabe shrugged. "I did some more digging after Drew told us everything, and it would seem his story pans out. You see," he looked at Paige, "you were right in suspecting that Drew didn't stop gambling. In fact, he was so addicted to gambling that he lost his job. I called the head coach of the Tampa Yankees, and he confirmed he had cut Drew from the team because of gambling addiction. Drew hitchhiked his way back to St. Louis – Lord only knows how the hell he managed to pull that one off – and went to see his parents. I had someone call and confirm that Drew had visited them about six and a half years ago and mentioned that he needed some help getting back to LA; whatever money he had was drained after paying those drivers for helping him hitch hike to St. Louis. Ma and Pa Baker refused to help him out; told him he was a grown man and needed to learn how to deal with his own problems. Drew apparently owed money to someone in Tampa and was counting on his parents to help him out; he wasn't expecting their refusal, however. That's when he decided to visit a loan shark." Cabe frowned.

"Was Drew able to give you a name?" Walter inquired as Paige heaved a heavy sigh.

"Even if the loan shark gave Drew a name, it wouldn't be his real one – these sons of bitches are smart. They know their way around the law." Cabe crossed his arms in front of him and then leaned back against the sofa. "He owed at least $10,000 to some sleezebag in Tampa for helping him with some baseball maneuvers, but when Drew wasn't earning enough income to pay the guy back, he started gambling again in hopes that he would raise the revenue – unfortunately, the only thing the gambling led to was the loss of his career. Hence the loan shark in St. Louis." Cabe frowned. "Drew claimed the loan shark loaned him five thousand dollars. Drew promised he would be able to pay the loan shark back by the end of the year. He paid the man he owed the five grand and begged the loan shark for more money. The loan shark only agreed to give Drew the cash if Drew promised to repay him twice as much. Being desperate, Drew made the deal and sent over the rest of the money to the man he owed."

"So…, I'm guessing the loan shark was a part of the Leviathan Mafia?" Paige inquired as she lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I don't think Drew really knew that at the time." Cabe nodded and then continued. "When Drew knew he wouldn't be able to come up with 20 grand by the end of the year, he found a way to get to Vegas, but he lost more money than he put in."

"Clearly, he should have realized he was a horrible gambler." Walter said as he tried to wonder why Drew would continue gambling if he wasn't able to win anything. It was a waste of time – and most certainly a waste in money.

"Tell that to eighty percent of the gamblers in America," Cabe sighed. "Anyway," he pressed on, "He bumped into Mr. Tucker Taylor while he was hitting up the slots one night and explained his ordeal to the old friend."

"More like old enemy," Paige commented under her breath. Walter tried to keep himself from chuckling to her response.

"_Anyway_," Cabe redirected their attention back to him, "Drew promised Tucker he would help him get laid if he did one favor for him."

"Let me guess," Walter interjected, "Drew asked Tucker to hack into a bank and transfer him a large sum of money as a down payment to buy him some time."

"How'd you know that?" Cabe raised an eyebrow.

"I was a forensic analyst remember?" Walter mimicked Cabe's facial expression.

"Right." Cabe nodded. "Well, apparently, Tucker had an even better idea. He managed to siphon small amounts of money from ten different banks."

"Of course he did." Walter frowned. "Withdrawing small amounts of money from innumerable banks would allow him to steal money without raising a red flag. Large sums usually make banks nervous, making them notify the account owner and fact check the withdrawal. Small sums, however, wouldn't be out of the ordinary – making it easier for hackers to siphon money without being caught."

"That's…concerning." Paige commented as they redirected their focus on Cabe. "Did Tucker get caught?"

"Not for a while." Cabe replied. "Drew managed to wire over a down payment of two grand and decided to use the other one grand of money Tucker had stolen for him to hit the slots. Needless to say this, but he didn't win anything, again. Tucker, however, won almost every poker game – no doubt he was counting cards. According to Drew's statement, he convinced Tucker to go with him to a strip club, and that was where Drew managed to persuade one of the dancers to take Tucker to a private area and do the nasty. If anything, Drew's a good conman. After a while, Tucker returned and thanked him for returning the favor. That was when Drew's phone received a text from the loan shark, demanding for more payment – that three grand wasn't good enough. After this little meeting," Cabe looked at Walter, "I'm going to need you to hack into Drew's old cell number and see if you can trace those texts."

"Okay," Walter nodded. "I can do that."

"I'm still not understanding why Drew would change his name." Paige ran a hand through her hair. "What would make him do that?"

"Drew was getting desperate." Cabe replied as he leaned forward again. "The end of the year was drawing close; he told me that he convinced Tucker to siphon more money. Tucker agreed, but he said he needed to go to some other city to pull it off in order to keep the suspicion low key. Realizing that _that _was their only option, Drew agreed and Tucker suggested they go to Kansas."

"That was actually a smart plan," Walter mused. "Kansas, if anything, is very isolated save for the metropolitan areas. Isolation would enable them to go somewhere remote, siphon the money and leave before anybody ever knew they were there. If this Tucker guy was able to hack into someone else's IP address in the process and used that address as a cloaking device, I'd be even more impressed."

"They didn't get a chance to." Cabe said.

"Why not?" Both Walter and Paige asked in unison.

"Because, just outside of Topeka, on their way to Overbrook, Kansas – an extremely small town on the outskirts of Topeka, Drew accidentally hit a man with Tucker's car." Cabe paused as Paige gasped.

"The man was Spencer Thomas, wasn't it." Walter deduced.

"Yes." Cabe nodded. "They panicked so Drew took all of the man's licenses and anything that could identify him and then they dragged Spencer Thomas's body towards a lake and used rocks to sink him below. Then they sped off like crazy towards Overbrook. They rented a motel room using stolen cash and instead of siphoning money like they had planned to do, Drew thought of an opportunity. He had Tucker basically create Drew a new life with the name of Spencer Thomas by hacking into several different servers to change pictures and information. That was how Drew became Spencer Thomas. I already called the FBI in Topeka, and they have a unit out there now trying to find Spencer Thomas's body; they're supposed to notify me if or once they do."

"So let me get this straight," Paige rubbed her temples, "Drew went through all of this trouble, stole some guy's identity and remarried a rich woman just so he could pay a loan shark back?" Paige looked as though she was starting to get a headache. "Am I missing something? Like how would he know Kathleen Johnson – heiress to a great sum of money – would be waiting for him in Portland? That seems too weird to grasp."

"Paige has a point." Walter agreed. "Sure, change his name to hide from the loan shark, but to suddenly have an idea to find some rich woman in Portland and marry her? I don't buy it."

"That's not what he did." Cabe shook his head. "Tucker apparently had a cousin in Portland who said she thought Tucker would be a good match for Kathleen Johnson. Tucker and Drew devised a plan that while Drew took Tucker's place and went to Portland to woo the lady, Tucker would remain in St. Louis. Drew said he would be able to _convince _Kathleen to marry him, and once that was done, he would have access to her money. He had a plan to siphon about a thousand per week, and Tucker agreed to send it to the loan shark if Drew promised to help him with a favor down the road. The plan apparently worked for almost five years of years, but when Drew realized the money wasn't being transferred out of the fake account he had created, he realized something was wrong. He called Tucker, but the loan shark answered instead. That was when Drew realized that the loan shark must have figured things out and set out to find him, killing anyone who refused to talk.

"Once again, Drew panicked. He decided to throw the loan shark off by booking a flight under his alias's name; he assumed the loan shark would have gathered enough Intel to know that he had changed his name. He paid a random man to pose as Spencer Thomas and then paid him enough money for a return trip. The reason he was so desperate as to force his _wife _home was because he needed access to Kathleen's financials. By spending time with Tucker for a few weeks, Drew had apparently picked up some simple hacking skills, but he needed Kathleen to remain home so that when he _did _steal from her, it wasn't obvious for why would someone steal from someone else if they were present? The man might not be a genius, but he does seem to have a few conning tricks up his sleeve." Cabe frowned.

"Yeah. It makes me wonder what else he's been lying about." Paige frowned as well. "Are you sure he didn't give you some BS'ed story?"

"I'm sure…. Everything he's said so far has panned out, but if he lied about something, we'll know." Cabe reassured her. "Anyway, once he had stolen enough money from Kathleen's vault, he left for Vegas in hopes to catch a lucky break again."

"Let me guess. He didn't?"

"Not a single penny." Cabe shook his head. "When he realized he wasn't going to win anything, he used what money he had left and made his way to Los Angeles. He bought an apartment and looked you up, Paige. Noticed you were still working at the diner. He was curious about Ralph so he checked up on you every once in a while. He hadn't heard from the loan shark in months so he assumed the loan shark backed down or got himself arrested. He didn't really care. He got a simple job as a barman and tried to clean up because he had given up on trying to pay the loan shark back. One of the days he said that he had checked up on you was when the team commandeered the diner due to the LAX emergency. That was when he learned about Ralph's special mind. A few weeks later, he found his apartment destroyed and noticed a note taped to his wall. Members of the Leviathan Mafia of the Los Angeles syndicate had found him and told him to meet them by nightfall or else.

"Drew met with them, got himself a few broken ribs and was told to come up with the money by the end of the month. The or else was implied. That was shortly before Drew came by and wanted to meet Ralph; he had no intention of hurting the boy, but he did want to earn Ralph's trust so that he could convince him to help him siphon the rest of his debt."

"I can't believe this!" Paige rose to her feet and threw her hands into the air. "I don't know which is worse: Drew using my kid to fix his problems, or the fact that Drew seems to think stealing a dead guy's identity for one major con act would be okay! I don't care if he had no intention of hurting Ralph; he was willing to put Ralph into a difficult position and risk my son getting caught instead of him!" Paige grabbed her purse. "Well, we'll see about that, won't we? Now where is he, Cabe?"

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Cabe stood up, ready to pounce her if she tried to bolt out of the loft. Walter was seeing déjà vu.

"I'm going to do what I should have done yesterday!" Paige exclaimed.

Walter rose to his feet, circled around the couch and gripped Paige's wrist. "I highly advise against it, Paige. Like I said yesterday, bad decisions bring forth consequences. I want to break his ribs as much as the next guy for even thinking about putting Ralph into a compromising position, but putting Drew in his place won't solve the problem at hand. The case is hardly about Drew anymore, Paige. It's about the Leviathan Mafia, and if Drew hasn't paid off his debts, they'll find a way to get to him."

"Walter's right, Paige." Cabe called out to her. "We have no idea how many members are in the Los Angeles syndicate. Trust me, Drew will be going away for a long time; he not only conspired to siphon money, but he also covered up a would-be crime scene and will be facing involuntary manslaughter charges as well. Not to mention the fact that he committed a forgery by faking a court order. Based on all of these charges, you don't have to worry about him coming near Ralph again."

"So you're telling me I can't go anywhere until either Drew's debt is settled or the members of the Leviathan Mafia Los Angeles syndicate are convicted?" Paige fired as she ripped her arm from Walter's grasp. "I can't live my life in hiding because of Drew's mistakes! I'm not going to let him ruin my life anymore!" She started for the door; Walter quickly followed her, hoping she would calm down and see to reason before marching out of the garage.

"And I'm not going to let Drew's dumbass mistakes get you or your son killed!" Cabe bellowed, forcing Paige and Walter to stop dead in their tracks. "Now sit back down! Both of you!" Cabe pointed both his index fingers towards the couch; his voice was enough to coerce the couple to find their seats again. "Now, if you'd be so kind, I'd like to finish what I was going to say." Walter and Paige sat in silence. "Drew has agreed to cooperate; I promised I'd put in a good word to the DOJ, but based on everything he's done, he's not going to get exonerated. He might have a few less years, but he's still going to prison for a long time.

"Drew has a way of getting hold of the Los Angeles syndicate's leader, and so he has agreed to contact him and set up a meeting. Drew will be a decoy. His phone is going to be tracked; he will be carrying a suitcase of counterfeit money. They won't be able to tell that they're fake. The LAPD and FBI will be undercover; Scorpion will be working here, at the garage, and will work on the technical end of the operation. A few Homeland agents, myself included, will be on sight as well. If they're meeting in some dark warehouse, I trust you'll pull up blueprints and guide us through the building if needed. If the operation is successful, then both you," Cabe looked at Paige, "and Ralph will be able to resume your life accordingly. Understood?"

Walter nodded as Paige sighed. "Fine," Paige caved. "When is this happening?"

"If the leader responds, hopefully tomorrow." Cabe replied. "Now, I've gotta fly…. Merrick wants me present when Drew makes the call. Walt," Cabe looked at Walter, "I need you to assist from here and make sure Drew's cell phone is cloaked. Tell me now if you can't do it from here because you'll have to come with me to Homeland if you can't."

"I can." Walter nodded. "Text me his number before he calls; I will give you the okay once the cloaking is in place."

"Good." Cabe nodded and then reached over to pat Walter on the shoulder. He then squeezed Paige's. "I know everything seems frustrating right now, but it'll get better. I promise."

As Cabe left the loft, Paige slumped over and covered her face in her hands. Perhaps Drew's confession was a lot for her to handle all at once. "Cabe's right, you know." Walter suddenly said, capturing Paige's attention. "It'll eventually get better."

"How can you be so sure?" Paige asked as she turned to look at him.

"Because," Walter shrugged as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She automatically leaned her head against his shoulder, and he rested his against hers in return. "I only state facts."

"Then tell me one right now." Paige muttered as her fingers linked with his.

"Okay," Walter hummed to himself as he thought of something to say. "The stars we see on an average nightly basis makes up only five percent of the observable universe."

"Really?" Paige caught his burning gaze. "I didn't know that."

"The Milky Way is approximately 60,000 light years in diameter, and our solar system is only a speck of planets, moons and stars compared to the vast size of the Milky Way. Truly, humans are infinitesimally small compared to the universe. And some are even smaller than _that _because of their scumbag statuses."

"Scumbag status?" Paige laughed, causing Walter to smile.

"Happy had said that term a few times in the past to describe how awful her past boyfriends were. After a while, the team sort of adopted that phrase and used it off and on to describe various people who ticked us off." Walter explained, causing Paige to laugh even more.

"Scumbag status. I like it." She smiled.

Walter pressed his lips together and remained silent for a few seconds before adding, "But…, the main fact I had wanted to say," Walter gulped; he wasn't used to having emotional conversations, especially when _he _was the one attempting to convey his emotions with the type of brain that he was born with. He tried to think of a way to explain what was going through his mind without sounding too technical. He noticed a small piece of chalk laying on the chalk rack. "Hold that thought," he said as he pushed himself off of the couch and headed towards the chalkboard. He picked up the tiny piece of chalk and held it out in front of Paige. "Imagine that _this _piece of chalk is relative to the size of the universe."

"Okaaay," Paige laughed, urging him to continue.

"If I were to fill this entire garage from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with this infinitesimal universe," he gestured towards the chalk, "until there were no spaces left to fill," he paused and gulped audibly, "I still would not have enough universes nor garages to compare to the amount of intense feelings I experience when I'm with you." Walter avoided Paige's gaze and turned around to place the chalk back onto the rack. He scratched his ear and then said, "Okay, I've said what I wanted to say so are you ready to go downstairs now?" He cleared his throat and felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Walter," she called his name out; he felt her hot breath brush against his ear. He turned around but continued to look elsewhere. If he could measure the level of awkwardness he had felt when Paige had coerced him into dancing with her at the gala versus what he was currently feeling, he would definitely have thought that the awkward state he was presently experiencing was a much larger value. The hairs on his neck stood up as she hooked her arms around his shoulders.

"Hm?" he finally met her gaze.

"You want to hear another fact?" Paige half-whispered, half-sang as he unconsciously wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What?" he inquired.

"I love you too," Paige smiled as she gently pressed her lips against his and slowly coaxed him into a chaste kiss. Minutes passed as they held each other and shared sweet, tender kisses. Paige pulled away slightly as her eyes met his. "You were right," she rubbed her nose against his, "things _do _eventually get better in the end."

She kissed him again before he pulled away and muttered, "See? I told you I only ever stated facts."

Paige smiled and laughed at his statement and just as she was about to pull him into another kiss, their attention was directed towards the door to the section with the stairs when they heard Toby shout, "Hey Walter! Paige! Quit canoodling and get down here! We're hungry, and Paige is the project manager so….get down here and…manage our food!"

Walter and Paige sighed and pulled away from one another. "What am I, a food wench?" Paige muttered as Walter straightened his tie. Walter started pulling Paige towards the door to the stairs when Paige stopped him with a laugh. He raised an eyebrow as she pointed to his lips. "I don't think messy red lipstick matches your eyes."

He released Paige's hand, made a bee-line for his bedroom and cleaned off his face – again. When he returned, Paige had reapplied her lipstick to hide all traces of their little make out session and had wiped off any red lipstick that had rubbed onto the skin surrounding her plump lips.

As they headed for the stairs, Toby said, "To answer your question, no. You're not a food wench, but you are a _much _better cook than the rest of us, and I assume that since you invited Megan over to the garage, you were planning on some kind of feast?"

"Y-you could hear me all the way up there?" Paige's eyes widened.

"Yup. Thin walls." Toby smirked. "Oh, and there's a vent near Walter's chalkboard so we were able to hear everything you two lovely birds were chirping about up there. Best entertainment in the _infinitesimally small _universe." Toby winked at Walter. Walter was tempted to march down there and pummel him, but Paige squeezed his hand and kept him from retaliating.

"Shut up, idiot, and leave them alone." Happy rolled her eyes.

"Yes, ma'am." Toby saluted and swaggered to his desk.

"I think Toby's whipped." Paige muttered softly.

"I've noticed." Walter whispered as they descended the stairs. They made their way over to Megan and Ralph who were playing chess against one another. "How many games have you won, Megan?"

"None." She answered quickly and moved her rook four spaces towards Ralph's king.

"Checkmate." Ralph smiled and knocked Megan's king off of the board. "Mom," Ralph looked up towards Paige, "Why don't you and Megan play against one another; the two of you would be equally matched."

Paige and Walter laughed as Megan rolled her eyes with a smile. "Gee, thanks, kid."

"I would, sweetie," Paige gave Ralph a hug, "but Toby had a point earlier, I've got to fix some dinner."

"Why don't we just order Chinese?" Walter suggested. "It's somewhat…homemade…by Chinese people…, and it happens to be Megan's favorite type of food." He placed a hand on Megan's shoulder and awaited for Paige's reply.

"Hell, I'm down for that." Happy called towards them.

"I like Oriental too!" Toby exclaimed.

"Interesting how you said _oriental _in place of Chinese," Happy noted as she rolled her eyes and continued with her project.

"I was hoping you'd notice," Toby grinned from ear to ear.

"As long as I can use my own, sterile utensils instead of those flimsy chopsticks, I'll be fine with Chinese too." Sylvester chimed in.

"Mom, Chinese is my favorite too." Ralph smiled.

"Then I guess I'm outnumbered," Paige grinned.

"Great!" Toby jumped. "I volunteer to pick it up! Happy, come with. With your driving, we can return in no time."

"Fine, but if you try anything, I won't be afraid to castrate you with an Asian Cleaver at the restaurant." Happy replied as she grabbed her leather jacket. "I just need to clean the motor oil off my face first."

"That is so hot!" Toby mumbled through gritted teeth as he made his way towards the rest of the group.

"What is?" Sylvester inquired. "The part about castration or the part about cleaning off the oil?"

"Both," Toby smirked. "She used two different terms which both indirectly points to future sex. Castration – well, you get the idea, and motor oil? That's a car lubricant which, to me, translates to lubricants in general, and know what else sometimes calls for lubricants?!" Toby lifted his eyebrows simultaneously.

"Ew." Paige commented as Sylvester said, "That's…disgusting."

"Who thinks like you?" Walter raised an eyebrow. Not even _he _would have made such a comparison. Castration and motor oil equated to future sex? Walter shook the thought out of his mind, hoping to never have to process _that _one if he could avoid it.

"That's the beauty of being me." Toby grinned.

"By the way," Megan interjected, catching Walter's and Paige's attentions. "I was beginning to wonder if you two would ever stop snogging each other and come down here to interact with your guest." Megan raised an eyebrow towards Walter. "Who knew it would take the shrink to bring you to back down from Cloud 9."

"Snogging?" Sylvester furrowed his brows.

"It's an British colloquial term describing two people making out. Read _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows_; there's tons of snogging mentioned in there." Toby replied as he waited for Happy to return.

"Actually," Walter caught the shrink's attention, "It is a European colloquial term. The British are not the only group of people who use that term, Toby."

"Walt's right," Megan confirmed. "The Irish use it too."

"Well color me stupid for making a slight error," Toby rolled his eyes. Happy returned and headed for the front door as Toby followed closely behind. "We'll be back."

After Toby and Happy left, Paige sat down in the chair Ralph had been sitting in and said, "You do realize, Ralph, that you were exaggerating about my chess skills, right? I'm just learning how to play so I'm sure Megan is a lot better at chess than I am."

"I _am _a little rusty," Megan chuckled, "so we shall see."

"We shall," Paige laughed as Ralph helped set up the board. "May the best non-genius win."

**~ SCORPION ~**

Several hours later, Walter took Megan back to the hospital and promised he would visit as soon as the Drew debacle was over; he didn't want her getting caught in the middle of something that could be potentially dangerous. When he returned to the garage, Toby was playing some game on his Xbox Live; while both Sylvester and Happy had retired for the night. He told Toby to turn the lights off when he was done with his game and then headed up the stairs. He found Paige tucking Ralph in on one of the sofas.

"We'll have the extra rooms set up for the two of you by the end of the week." Walter whispered. "Perhaps tomorrow, if there's time after _the meeting_," Walter referred to Drew handing over the fake money to the mafia, "you and I could go over to your apartment and gather what belongings you need and make an inventory of furniture you'd like to bring over to your new room. Then all of us could make a trip over there a day or so afterwards and collect the furniture."

"That sounds like a plan," Paige muttered and smiled at him before bending down to kiss her son goodnight. Walter walked over towards the hallway and was surprised when she followed him. He turned around just as she hooked her arms around him and planted a kiss on his lips. "Good night, Walter." Paige mumbled against his lips before kissing him again.

As she pulled away from him, he cleared his throat and said, "I-if you want," he stuttered, "I can sleep on one of the couches out there; you can use my bed."

Paige smiled. "As sweet as that is, I remembered you didn't sleep well on the couch that one time; I don't mind sleeping out there with Ralph. You need your sleep more than I do."

Before he could object, she walked back towards Ralph, leaving him dumbstruck in the hallway. Eventually, he came to his senses and crept into his bedroom. He quickly changed out of his clothes into a clean pair of boxers and an off-white t-shirt. He went to the bathroom, washed his face – for the fourth time that day – and brushed his teeth before sliding into his bed and turning out the light.

He couldn't sleep; however. A lot had happened in his and Paige's relationship that he needed to process, and nighttime was the only time he had to himself to reflect on his thoughts and feelings. Close to 1 AM in the morning, he turned his light on and started writing into his journal; he wrote everything he had experienced and felt within the last few days. Writing sped up his process – as he wrote down his feelings, it enabled him to properly analyze them more efficiently. Writing required motor skills, and motor skills were mostly wired to the right side of the brain. By writing, he was able to tap into his right brain and properly assess anything he could have possibility compartmentalized over the past few days. Megan had suggested writing once when he was frustrated about something. The writing helped – it allowed him to voice his thoughts and his feelings without ever needing to express himself to an outside audience. Whatever he would write would remain strictly private unless he decided to share his entries with another individual – in this instance, Paige Dineen.

By the time he was done writing, he looked at the clock. 2:30 AM. He did feel more at ease because he was able to understand his and Paige's relationship a little bit better. He still had loads to process, but what he had analyzed proved pleasing and profitable. He slid his journal back into his bedside drawer and then turned off the light.

As he turned over to fall asleep, he noticed Paige standing just outside his door. "Paige?" He raised an eyebrow as he leaned forward on his bed and rubbed his eyes. "Is everything all right?" He noticed the tears staining her cheeks as she stepped towards the moonlight gracing his bedroom. Her silence was deafening, and he worried that something was wrong with Ralph. "I-is Ralph okay?"

She nodded. Good. That was good. She walked closer to him. He rose to his feet, not sure what else to do. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his back and buried her face into his chest. He really didn't know what to do so he simply embraced her as her tears soaked up his shirt. He figured her state of depression had something to do with the stress Drew had caused her over the years and deduced that Drew's departure and sudden return had bothered her a lot more than he had originally thought.

Many minutes later, Paige pulled slightly away from him and dabbed her eyes with her fingers. She apologized for being such a mess. He told her she didn't need to apologize; stress affected everyone differently. He was not an exception to that statement. Neither should she be. Somehow, they had migrated from the middle of Walter's bedroom to under the covers of his bed. Paige's fingers clenched Walter's shirt as she lay her head against his chest. Between a few shared kisses, she had mentioned how she had come to realize that almost everyone she had ever gotten close to had left – Ralph being the exception. Her parents…Aubrey…Drew…., she was afraid that one day Ralph would leave her and so would he. Walter assured her that _that _fate wouldn't happen – he wouldn't allow it. He hated how she felt victimized, and he had to wonder if she often felt that way, or if her mini episode was a result from all of the stress she had been experiencing lately.

"I'm sorry again," Paige apologized; he could feel a tear drop off of her nose and plop onto his shirt. "I don't know what came over me."

"Megan told me once that we all have our own moments of weaknesses." Walter muttered as he stared at the ceiling. "I usually break crockery or lash out when I'm frustrated; I'm not even an exception. Like I said earlier, you aren't either." She remained silent as he unconsciously combed his fingers through her hair. "Remember that one riddle I gave Ralph a few weeks after you started working here?" He paused as she nodded. "What type of punch does a jellyfish like?"

"A smack." Paige muttered. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well...," Walter finally looked at her and smiled his usual dorky grin. "if I ever anger you or upset you in any way, I would completely understand if you'd want to give me one in order to alleviate your frustrations."

Paige laughed. "That's funny, Walter."

"Yeah, well…. I do try." Walter shrugged before leaning in to kiss her. Eventually Paige fell asleep within his arms, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep himself. He began to think about the words Paige had sung in the shower earlier in the day. He remembered every lyric, even the ones Paige didn't sing; Megan used to sing it all the time when they were younger, and as annoying as it was, the words had engraved into his mind.

_Turn down the lights; _

_Turn down the bed. _

_Turn down these voices_

_Inside my head._

_Lay down with me; _

_Tell me no lies. _

_Just hold me close; _

_Don't patronize. _

_Don't patronize me._

Walter found the first two verses of the song oddly similar to what he and Paige had just gone through. He had no doubt in his mind that there were voices… memories… awful experiences… that were plaguing Paige's mind, and she had come to him for comfort…for support. He had to wonder if she felt belittled by her past, and perhaps that was the reason she had been singing the song earlier.

'_Cuz I can't make you love me_

_If you don't. _

_You can't make your heart feel_

_Something it won't. _

_Here in the dark _

_In these final hours, _

_I will lay down my heart_

_And I'll feel the power; _

_But you won't. _

_No, you won't. _

'_Cuz I can't make you love me_

_If you don't._

Even though he did not believe the chorus applied to their relationship, he did recognize the fact that he had a harder time responding to her on some levels. Even though he couldn't help the fact that he could not connect well, he did think he was improving with his emotional (and physical) reactions and responses. So he determined the song might not have had _anything _to do with their relationship but had _everything _to do with the fact that Paige simply loved singing in private. And _that _was something he could enjoy listening in private too.

"Walter?" he heard a small voice coming from his door. Walter turned and saw Ralph standing just outside his door as Paige had done an hour or so ago.

"What is it Ralph?"

"I can't sleep."

"Is something bothering you?" Walter whispered. The boy shook his head. Walter recalled a moment when Paige had told him that Ralph would sometimes claim he couldn't sleep just so he could have his mother hold him. "Do you think you would sleep better up here?" Walter offered a small spot on his bed next to him. He figured it would be more efficient if Ralph was in the room too; that way, Walter wouldn't have to worry about him sleeping alone in the loft.

"Yeah." Ralph nodded.

"Okay." Walter replied as Ralph climbed onto the bed and lay next to Walter. It didn't take long for the boy to fall asleep. And a few minutes later, Ralph unconsciously wrapped his arms around Walter just as Paige was doing. As he looked from Paige to Ralph and back to Paige, he had to wonder how he went from being a tech specialist one day to becoming a family man the next. It was almost too surreal for both Paige and Ralph to be sleeping next to him, and he couldn't understand how it had happened, but he accepted the fact that it did.

For the first time in his life, he could see himself having a future life outside the realm of technology.

And he was liking that possibility.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

HOLY MOLY! I never anticipated this chapter to be this long! O_O 19 pages on Word! O_O Anyway, if you want to Google it, the song mentioned in this chapter is called "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt. Go look it up. It is absolutely lovely. I suggest you also listen to the version sung by David Thomas Junior. Both versions are absolutely beautiful.

BTW, I hope the characters seemed in-character. I know that Paige on the show isn't as forward as my Paige, but given the circumstances (that my story has definitely taken a romantic turn), I can see Paige being more forward with Walter one they start having a relationship on TV.

Anyway, SCORPION WAS RENEWED FOR A SECOND SEASON! (In case you hadn't heard the news).

Also, if you haven't had the chance to go onto spoilertv*DOT*com and look at the promo photos for Ep. 1x15 "Charades," you need to do so right now! I have posted a link on my Tumbler page: a*DASH*beautiful*DASH*mind*DASH*wf001*DOT*tumblr*DOT*com.

There are some pictures of Walter and Paige inside a hotel room; Walter is wearing a robe and Paige is sitting on a bed. I'm sure they're undercover, but whatever the reason is, I'm excited! :D


	26. Chapter 26

**WriterFreak001: **

Sorry for the delay. I wanted to take a short break in order to refresh my mind (and rest my fingers). Can Sunday & Monday be here already?!

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 26**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

It was almost seven in the morning when Paige felt small hands shaking her awake. She stirred in her sleep and then jerked upwards as Ralph called for her. "What is it?" she grumbled.

"Mom," Ralph said as he slid off of Walter's bed. She noticed that he was already dressed for the day. She smiled; Ralph made her think of a certain someone who was an early riser to0. The similarities between her two special boys were uncanny. "Until breakfast, can I go play Proton Arnold?"

"Sure." Paige smiled as she gave Ralph a quick hug before he excitedly scampered out of Walter's room. She laughed and stretched her muscles, finally noticing that the owner of the bedroom wasn't present. She heard water running and quickly deduced where he was and what he was doing. She sank into the pillows again and inhaled the distinct scent radiating from the pillow sheets. It smelled like aftershave.

As she listened for the shower water to stop running, she took the opportunity to glance around Walter's bedroom, wanting to see if she could learn something about him based on the things he had in his bedroom. It was the first time she had a chance to actually stop and appreciate everything that was Walter. His sheets were plain white, while the comforter was a dull, olive-green sort of color. Very plain and very simple. The walls of his bedroom were also the same color as his comforter. He had two chestnut bedside tables on each side with cheap lamps sitting on top of them. There was a tall, chestnut dresser standing in front of his bed between the bedroom door and his small, walk-in closet. There was a folding chair inside his closet and another one next to the bathroom door to the right of his bed.

Walter's bedroom was very simple; it appeared as though he didn't have many items within his room from his time in Ireland. In fact, except for a few various pictures sitting on top of his dresser as well as his left-side bedside table, there was hardly anything at all that linked him to his family. She wondered why that was. When it came to his family, Walter wasn't very forthcoming; it made her wonder when the last time he had seen his parents was. She noted his flat-screen TV sitting on top of a tall bookcase to her left. She had to smile when she realized that the TV's angle from the bed had been strategically placed – it was far enough from the windows behind his bed where there wouldn't be any glares, and it was standing at a comfortable angle from the bed; she wouldn't have to strain any of her neck or back muscles in order to watch TV. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that everything in Walter's bedroom had been arranged for efficiency. The dresser and the closet were close together and wasn't too far off from the bathroom door. The bed had a clear path in every direction.

Simple, but efficient. Walter had a small TV table hidden next to the left bedside table. Even though there was nothing on it, she assumed that was where he placed his laptop. She quietly opened one of his drawers and found a wireless mouse, a wireless keyboard and a long HDMI cable placed neatly inside the drawer. She figured he often hooked his laptop to the TV to serve as a larger monitor. She opened another drawer and found his laptop; it was hooked to a cord which ran behind the bedside table, through a small, drilled hole and was plugged into the wall. His phone and tablet was charging inside the drawer too. She had to admire his penchant for efficiency.

For Walter being one of the smartest tech specialists alive, Paige found it interesting that his room wasn't hooked up to some remote-controlled system. Save for the elaborate TV / laptop system Walter had created, the bedroom was very basic. As she reached over to open the top drawer of the bedside table to his right, she heard the shower water shut off. Quickly, she closed the other drawers, sank back into the covers, acting like she was still asleep. Minutes later, she heard the bathroom door squeak open and pretended she was waking up for the first time that morning. She stretched her muscles again as Walter walked out of the bathroom; his hair was still wet, and he was wearing a deep blue bathrobe.

"G-g0od morning," Paige squeaked as she shook away _tantalizing _thoughts from her mind. She cleared her throat and smiled. "Good morning." She reiterated as she recovered from her moment of weakness. To alleviate the heat radiating from her cheeks, she collected her hair into her hands and twisted it to the side.

"Morning." Walter replied as he walked towards the closet and pulled out an assortment of his usual attire. "Where's Ralph?" he inquired.

"Downstairs. He wanted to get an early start on beating his latest Proton Arnold score before breakfast." Paige explained as she slid out of the bed and started placing the pillows on the floor. She needed a distraction. _Any distraction_. Walter raced over to the other side of the bed and started helping. "I've got this," she laughed.

"It would be more efficient this way," Walter shrugged. As Paige reached for the lightweight bed sheet, Walter did the same, and they gently pulled it towards the head of the bed.

"If you say so," she smiled and continued making the bed with Walter's aid.

After Paige placed the last pillow on top of the bed, Walter circled back towards the closet and closed himself inside the claustrophobic cubical for privacy. Paige was sitting on top of Walter's bed, messing with her phone when she noticed that the closet door had somewhat reopened, and Walter seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he was well within her line of vision. Paige couldn't help but watch as Walter's bathrobe slid to the floor. She leaned slightly over the bed for a better vantage point and noted how well-toned Walter's muscles were. She knew Walter wasn't some macho man like Cabe, but she also knew he wasn't lanky either. While it was one thing to know something; it was something entirely different for Paige to be able to see Walter's well-built torso with her own eyes.

After he had slid on his black pants, he pulled a white T-shirt over his head before slipping on his light blue collared shirt. She could tell he was buttoning it by the way his arms were strategically moving in a downward motion. He then looped his tie around his neck.

The next thing Paige knew, she fell off of Walter's bed and hit the floor, letting out a quiet shriek in the process.

"Are you all right?" Walter asked as he came out of his closet, fully dressed. Walter rushed to her side and helped her back to her feet; she figured he was too focused on her own wellbeing than to realize _why _she had fallen off of his bed. "What happened?"

"I'm fine." Paige smiled as she rubbed her hip and bypassed Walter's second question.

The way Walter simply returned her smile told her that he knew she was hiding something. Of course he knew. Hyper-observance was just one of his many talents. "Okay." He replied.

"Why don't you go downstairs and check on Ralph," Paige changed the subject as she hooked her arms around his neck, "while I get ready for the day."

"I can do that," Walter nodded before Paige pulled him into a brief kiss.

"Good." She winked before circling around him and walked towards her stack of clothes Walter had retrieved the night before last. She pulled out an outfit, placed it on the folding chair next to the bathroom. "By the way," she called out to Walter who was already on his way out his bedroom. He turned around as his eyes inquired what she wanted. "Do you mind if I use your bathrobe? I wouldn't want another episode like yesterday to happen after I'm done with my shower." She winked again.

Walter gulped. "Sure." He turned around to walk out of his bedroom but stopped to add one more thing. "I assure you," Walter's gaze met hers, "you will have the full privacy of my bedroom until you are finished dressing for the day."

"Good to know," Paige said as she walked over to Walter and gently pushed him out of the room. "Good to know."

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

Most of the day was going relatively slow. Cabe came by shortly after everyone had eaten breakfast and confirmed that Drew had arranged a meeting with the Leviathan Mafia leader of the Los Angeles syndicate. When Walter inquired where the meeting would take place, Cabe would not confirm the location. He figured Cabe wanted Scorpion to stay out of the way and let the badges take on the bad boys. But Walter eventually convinced Cabe to let Scorpion help – so Cabe caved but gave everyone orders to help from within the garage. Until the _exchange _was over and when Cabe could assure the team that the gang wasn't going to be a problem anymore, no one was to leave the garage for any reason. And that was how it was going to stay until Cabe gave the team clearance.

The exchange was going to happen at night inside a secluded warehouse. While the location was not established by Drew, Walter knew it would give the officials an advantage, allowing them to sneak up to and surround the building without anybody noticing. For most of the day, Toby and Sylvester continued to gather as much information as they could on the Leviathan Mafia, while Happy worked on embedding a tracker into an old duffel bag Cabe had brought over from Homeland. It would be more believable if Drew showed up with a crappy looking bag filled with money inside of it as opposed to him showing up with a first-class briefcase – something the former baseball player wouldn't be able to afford.

While Paige made sure to keep Ralph occupied in order to keep her own mind off of the case at hand, Walter was busy searching for blueprints of the warehouse as well as looking for anything that could be helpful towards the case.

An hour after dinner, Walter took it upon himself to hack into Drew's cellphone and view the text messages which were conversed between the former baseball player and the mafia. Drew, Cabe and the rest of Homeland as well as the LAPD and the FBI were all on their way to the warehouse; for some reason, something didn't seem right to the 197 IQ genius. Toby had mentioned that gang members usually tend to keep their eyes out for people who owe them money; surely the members would have figured out that Drew had been swept off of the streets and escorted to Homeland Security. And what sort of gang leader gives a client his number – even a burner phone for that matter? "Toby," Walter pressed his lips together. "Come here for a minute."

"What's wrong, Walt?" Toby asked as he made his way over to Walter's desk.

"How often do gang members hand their mobile contact information over to clients?" Walter asked as he reread the transference of text messages again.

"A very small percentage." Toby replied. "Usually the leaders have a minion – as I like to call them – pay the client a visit. Gang members don't want to be tracked so they would never use anything that could compromise their membership when doing something gang-related. They typically only share their cellphone information with other members of the gang – not outsiders. Why?"

"I just find it strange that Drew would have access to a member's number." Walter frowned. Something didn't make sense.

"Well, loan sharks usually converse with their clients, but no one else. Is it possible he's been in contact with the loan shark? The loan shark would know how to contact the Los Angeles syndicate's leader." Toby suggested.

"I don't know. It's a burner. Untraceable." Walter replied as he glanced at his computer screen. Then suddenly Walter had a theory. "We might not be able to pinpoint the location of the burner phone, but I might be able to cross-reference the burner's number with past calls Drew might have received from his loan shark."

"Great idea! If you can access Drew's voicemail and find a number that matches the number he used as a contact, then you would be able to determine if Drew is in contact with the LA syndicate or the loan shark." Toby replied as he leaned over Walter's desk to look at Walter's computer screen. "Look for a number that constantly contacts Drew. You can eliminate the one-time callers and the named contacts."

"Hacking voicemail," Walter said as he typed away, "and in!"

Toby's finger followed the list of numbers. "That one! That number contacts Drew at least once a week. I don't know about you, but if I was a loan shark and wanted my money back, I'd call very frequently and tell my client I mean business. See if you can access the actual message."

"Way ahead of you." Walter said as the caller of the number started talking through Walter's speakers.

"_I better see my money wired by the end of the month, Baker. If not, I'll feed you to the wolves." _

"He sounds lovely," Toby rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," Walter said as he tried hacking into the loan shark's number. "Hah! I'm in!"

"You were able to hack into a burner?"

"No." Walter shook his head. "It was just a theory but there are apps out these days that enable people to cloak their phones…. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of two different phones – especially for loan sharks; they need one for business, I assume. And one for their personal lives. Apps make it easier to combine the two." Walter scanned through the texting history of the loan shark's phone number. "Sly!" Walter called for Sylvester. "Look up the number 314-555-8205 and see who it belongs to!"

"On it!" Sylvester exclaimed as he started tapping away at his computer.

Walter returned to his computer screen. "Hang on…. Loan shark just received a new text." Walter clicked on what seemed like a current conversation. He quickly scanned through it and then read the newest message.

_**Trap in place. Baker won't know what hit him. Consider this surprise as your payment. Will contact later to give a report.**_

Seconds later…

_**Confirmed. Do what needs to be done.**_

"Oh no. No. No. No. No. No." Walter scrambled from his desk and grabbed his briefcase, making sure he had his tablet. "We gotta go!"

"What is it?" Toby, Sylvester, Happy and Paige looked at the frantic genius.

"Cabe, Drew and everyone are heading for a trap! We gotta go and worn them. NOW!" Walter replied, causing Toby and Happy to race for the door. "Happy, you drive! Toby, you keep trying to get in contact with Cabe! Sly, I know this is going to be a big request, bu—"

"Coming!" Sylvester hopped off of his chair and headed for the door.

"All right!" Walter gently slapped Sylvester's shoulder as he raced by him. "I'll be there in a second!" He walked over to Paige. "The garage is safe. Stay here. Protect Ralph."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Paige said as she held her son.

Walter turned towards the door and hollered towards the rest of the team. "Go! I'll catch up in Paige's car!" Happy confirmed and sped away. Walter grabbed Paige's hand and pulled her and Ralph towards an area behind the kitchen. He opened a hatch and said, "After I leave, put the garage on total lockdown. Happy recently installed a new security system in case of emergencies. It'll lock you in and keep threats out. We all have controls on our phones to reopen the garage when we return. Do not open it up for anybody, understand?"

Paige nodded quickly. "Yes!" Her voice was dry and frantic.

"Down in the hatch is a safe room, per se. Once the garage is locked down, I want you and Ralph to get inside here and don't come out. When I return, I will fetch you. And you must be absolutely quiet. Don't come out of the hatch until I come for you. Okay?"

"I understand." Paige answered swiftly as Walter raced off to grab a flashlight. He handed the handheld light to Ralph and then helped him down into the small room. He whispered something into Ralph's ear, ruffled his hair and then climbed back out of the safe room.

He took Paige aside and said, "There may be an instance when Ralph might get frustrated because he won't be able to help solve this problem. It's how our brains are wired. Whatever he does, keep him calm and quiet. If you need him to do something in order to keep him preoccupied, give him this," Walter raced to his desk and bolted back to her with a binder. "It's a book of riddles I've compiled for him. The answers are in a different binder. There's already a pencil inside the binder; it should keep him busy for a long while."

"Go, Walter. We'll be fine." Paige reassured him as she squeezed his hand. "I have faith."

"Text me every hour we're gone." Walter said as he raced towards the door.

"I will." She replied as she followed him in order to lock down the garage. "Get back safely."

"Don't worry about me." Walter whispered before pulling her into a heated kiss.

"It's hard not to." Paige muttered as he broke away and hopped into her Chevy before he slammed on the gas and zoomed away from the garage.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

The moment Walter left, Paige locked the front door to the garage and then set the place on lockdown. As she saw steel-plated doors conceal all entrances and exits, she felt like she was a part of an Iron Man film. Remembering what Walter had said, she turned off all of the lights, turned on her phone's flashlight and then raced to the hatch; Ralph was sitting on the stone floor, staring at the wall. "Sweetie!" she called out to him quietly, "Are there outlets down there?"

Ralph nodded. "There's a charging station down here too."

"Perfect!" Paige mounted onto the ladder, tucked her phone into her back pocket and reached for the door before closing it as she climbed down. She sat down next to Ralph, plugged in her phone and silenced it before wrapping her arms around her son to keep him close to her.

Occasionally, Paige would check the clock on her phone and see if Walter had called. He texted once and asked her if she and Ralph were safe, and she confirmed they were. Paige and Ralph had been hiding down in the hatch for nearly half an hour and hadn't heard a single thing from either of the team members except for the one time Walter had sent a text to Paige. The silence around them was deafening. Suddenly, Ralph's soft voice cracked. "Mom…. Are we going to die down here?"

Paige kissed Ralph's forehead and held him tighter. "No, sweetie. We'll be okay. As long as we're quiet, no one will know we're down here." She combed her fingers through Ralph's hair.

That was when large banging sounds surrounded the garage.

"Mom…?" Ralph whimpered. "I'm scared." Paige shushed him, coddled him against her breast and covered his mouth with her hand as she quietly ordered him to close his eyes. She wanted to close hers too, but she couldn't find the willpower to do it. She prayed to God that Walter and the team were all right.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV [right after he left the garage]**

Walter felt uneasy leaving Paige and Ralph alone in the garage, but it couldn't be helped. The garage was a strong fortress so he believed they would be all right. He called Toby as he sped through LA, ignoring all of the near-accidents he was causing as he violated traffic laws. "Toby, status! Now!" Walter barked the moment Toby answered his call.

"Just got hold of Cabe minutes before you called." Toby replied. "And we just arrived at the warehouse too."

"Quit being evasive and give me details!" Walter grew impatient.

"Give me that, you idiot!" He heard Happy snap and then heard an "Ow!" and a "Hey! That's my phone!" from Toby. Then Happy started talking. "Walt. Got good and bad news. Bad news: you were right. It was a trap. There was a bomb planted inside the building. Good news: Luckily the LAPD brought the dogs and quickly determined what was happening. Most people, including Cabe and Drew, managed to get away in time."

Walter closed his eyes for a second. "Any casualties?"

"Five members are missing, and eleven are being transported to the hospital. The rest of the teams seem to be functioning. There's dust and plumes of smoke everywhere; EMTs are handing everyone face masks. I got one for you when you arrive." Happy explained. "The bomb had already gone off by the time we got here; the worst Cabe got was a few burns and smoke inhalation. Drew also suffered some burns. Both of them will survive though. Drew is being taken to Homeland ASAP to answer more questions and hopefully confess to conspiracy."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, Happy," Walter said as he honked the horn. "Drew didn't know anything about this. I have the proof with me." All he needed was a wireless connection to stream his findings from his comp – then he remembered that he had ordered Paige to shut down the entire system. "Scratch that," Walter mentally cursed. "I'll have to find it all over again."

"The evidence could be gone by the time you look for it again, Walt. Maybe you should be glad to have lost it; that way, Drew would be behind bars for a much longer sentence." Happy replied as Walter caught sight of the smoke plumes. He was almost there.

"As much as I hate the guy, Happy, Scorpion doesn't wrongfully convict people. That's not what we're about." Walter frowned. While he partly wished Drew was at fault for this setup, he knew otherwise, and also knew it would bother Paige if he had decided to withhold certain evidence – as well as possibly get himself arrested in the future if he were ever caught.

"And that's why you'll love me even more, Walt." Toby's voice suddenly appeared again.

"Tell me about it in a second. I'm almost there." Walter replied before ending the call. He texted Paige and asked her if she and Ralph were all right. A minute later, she answered with a yes. Good. As he slipped his phone into his pocket, he climbed out of Paige's car, closed the door, locked it and then covered his mouth as he headed over to Happy and Toby. He saw Sylvester sitting in the van with the windows closed; the human calculator was frantically cleaning his hands with his mobile Germ-X bottle. Same ole Sly.

"What did you want to tell me, Toby?" Walter inquired as he put on his mask.

"While you were busy explaining what you had just found on your computer, I took the liberty to copy all of the files you had uncovered onto this puppy right here." Toby tossed up a thumb drive and caught it. "I figured there could be a possibility that it could have been erased so I acted quickly." He handed the drive over to Walter. "You're welcome."

"Toby," Walter patted his friend's shoulder. "I'm sure you hear this a lot, but you're a genius."

"Oh stop it, you." Toby flicked his wrist towards Walter and chuckled. "You're making me all tingly inside."

"And now the smartass has returned." Happy rolled her eyes as Walter made his way over to Cabe.

"What's the plan now?" Walter asked as Cabe was getting a few wounds cleaned. "Wait. What happened? Happy said you only received a few burns." Walter raised an eyebrow, noting the sling around Cabe's arm. "It looks like you received more than just some burns."

"The burns are minor." Cabe grunted. "I'll live. I got a few cuts along the way and dislocated my shoulder. Once we pop it back in, I'll be as good as new."

"Uh-huh…." Walter was unconvinced. He wasn't a doctor, but he could tell that Cabe did more than just dislocate his shoulder. "I think you should be X-Rayed."

"I'll get treatment once this case is over." Cabe frowned. "Besides. You're not a doctor, Walt. So stop diagnosing me." He seemed grouchier than usual.

"Walter may not be a doctor, but I am." Toby replied as he popped up and examined Cabe's shoulder. Toby shooed away the paramedic and ordered Cabe to try and move his shoulder. Cabe managed to move it slightly. The agent grimaced from the pain. "Now… your shoulder is swelling pretty well; did you feel a gritty sensation when you moved your shoulder?"

"No."

"Good news. Your shoulder's not dislocated. If you're able to move it, then it's only bruised. Probably swollen from shock of getting hit. However," Toby felt around Cabe's collarbone. Cabe's glare did not go unnoticed by Walter. "Is it tender when I press down on this bump?" Cabe bit his lip. He was certainly struggling not to bite Toby's head off. "I'll take that as a yes." Toby deduced. "Nothing is for certain until you get an X-Ray, Cabe, but from the looks of it, you're suffering from a clavicle fracture. Unfortunately, you won't be able to use a gun for quite some time."

"Perfect." Cabe grunted. "Anything else you'd like to put a damper on, doc?"

"Unless you're feeling any pain anywhere else, then nope!" Toby replied as he stepped away from Cabe. Toby looked towards the paramedic. "Not to insult your intelligence, but I suggest you put a sling on him until he decides to _not _endanger his life and get his collarbone checked."

The paramedic nodded and did as Toby suggested; Cabe winced as the sling was placed on his arm. Walter grimaced at how painful it looked.

"To answer your first question, kid. Until Drew talks and tells us he had orchestrated this setup, there's not much we _can _do. The gang is still out there and until we can nail them for illegal activity, we can't do anything."

"Drew played no part in this scheme. The proof is in here." Walter waved the thumb drive in front of Cabe. "This drive consists of text messages sent between Drew's loan shark – the person Drew had been contacting – and the leader of the LA Leviathan Mafia. They conspired without Drew. We managed to lift the loan shark's cellphone number; Sly was in the process of looking him up before we came here. If he is in any system, we'll be able to find him; we have proof that this loan shark conspired – that gives Homeland Security legal grounds to find and arrest him, right?"

"Indeed it does." Cabe nodded and slid off of the paramedic's truck. "By the way, everyone who's conscious has to stay here for statements and help find the missing persons. That means I'm going to need you to head over to Homeland and show that drive to Merrick."

"Who's asking for statements?" Walter inquired. He thought that both the LAPD and the FBI were involved in the case so he had to wonder who would be in charge of wanting them.

"Well," Cabe started, "the FBI are asking for statements. Since this whole ordeal links back to St. Louis, it crosses state borders, giving FBI jurisdiction. Homeland was primarily involved because the case affected two of our own team members, and now we are involved because the damn gang tried to take out our entire unit – not to mention the FBI and LAPD." Cabe frowned. "Where's Paige and Ralph?"

"They're down in the hatch of the garage; I've instructed Paige to put the garage on lockdown. Only Happy, Toby, Sly and I have access to open the garage back up." Walter replied. "They're safe."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Walter felt uneasy again.

Sylvester suddenly opened the van's door. "Guys! You've gotta take a look at this."

Walter, Cabe, Toby and Happy slid inside the vehicle and looked over Sylvester's shoulder. "I managed to hack into that diner's Wi-Fi over there," he pointed to a diner down the street, "and decided to see if the loan shark messaged the LA mafia contact again."

"And?" Walter inquired.

"He did." Sylvester said as he pointed to his screen.

Walter scanned over the messages.

LA Syndicate leader: _**Could not confirm Baker's death. **_

Loan Shark: _**OK. Continue with collecting collateral. **_

LA Syndicate Leader: _**Confirmed. **_

Walter then saw the time the conversation took place. Five minutes ago.

"Do you know what he could mean by collecting collateral?" Sylvester gulped. "Does he mean money? More bombings?"

"I'm afraid not." Cabe's face fell as Walter's did as well. Cabe turned to Happy. "Your lockdown system – were there any flaws in the design or some sort of way to get it open from the outside in case you guys didn't have a phone on ya to open it back up?"

"The only way to get into the garage to bypass the system is to go through the sewers and enter through the hatch underneath the stairs. I purposely designed the system like that because, if, in the event that we needed to evacuate immediately, the lockdown system would serve as a five minute delay, allowing us to escape the garage through the sewers." Happy looked nervous. "But there's no way those lowlifes would be smart enough to use the sewers. The entrance and exit of the sewers are half a mile in each direction."

"What if they had another bomb on them?" Toby raised an eyebrow. "Even one with a small bang to it."

"If the building was hit with a major IED or if someone was smart enough to create a temporary brown-out, then the system could be compromised." Happy explained.

Cabe cursed. He hopped out of the van, grabbed one of his agents and ordered him to assist his team back to the garage. Cabe gave Happy permission to break as many traffic laws as she needed in order to get back to the garage as soon as possible. Cabe then ordered Sylvester and Walter out of the vehicle before telling Happy to step on it. Happy sped away immediately. Cabe took the thumb drive from Walter and handed it to Sylvester. "You," he grabbed Sylvester's sweater vest and then dragged him over to another Homeland officer, "and you" he pointed to his squad car, "are going to Homeland to deliver the drive to Merrick ASAP."

"Roger that." The agent nodded before he and Sylvester made their way to the squad car.

That was when Walter received a call.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Ralph's POV (resuming after the noises they heard)**

As his mother held him tightly and covered his mouth, Ralph did as his mother ordered and shut his eyes. He tried to seek comfort in his mother, but the loud bangs made him shiver with fear. For minutes, all they heard were loud bangs – it sounded like a large group of mad and angry men were trying to shoot the security doors open.

Ralph wished Walter was here with them; he felt useless not being able to use his genius to help him and his mother out of this situation. The banging continued to go on for minutes, and then they stopped. He felt his mother sigh with relief; she released him from her clutches and then gave him a kiss on the forehead.

They thought they were out of the clear.

Suddenly, security doors started slowly opening. Breaking glass followed, alarming both of them.

"Listen to me, honey," his mom spoke deeply and softly as she cupped his face, "Hide underneath that cot; no one will be able to see you from there." Ralph tried to object, but his mother picked him up and carried him over to the cot. She slid him underneath the mattress, kissed his nose and cheeks before sliding the dusty blanket downwards to cover him up. "Lay still and don't make a sound no matter what you hear. I love you, honey."

Ralph nodded and through a small opening of the sheets, he saw his mother grab the flashlight and turned it off. He heard her walk towards a space away from the hatch where she wouldn't be seen from first glance. He heard the hatch open. He covered his mouth and grew rigid. At first, he thought someone had opened the hatch up and walked away, but then he heard a pair of footsteps coming down the ladder. There were men crashing things upstairs. He could hear them destroying things. They were angry and mad, and Ralph had recognized that the reason these bad people were in the garage was because of his father's past mistakes.

In that moment of fear, Ralph felt bitter towards his biological father; they wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for him. Through the sheets, he saw a light flicker on. A sinister voice said, "Well. Well. Well. Look at what we have here." Then he heard that man yelp in pain; he deduced that his mom whacked the bad man with the flashlight. He heard a struggle. More men plopped down into the room. His mom was giving her all. Fighting. Screaming. Doing everything she could to keep them from hurting her or finding him. And then the sounds of struggle stopped when he heard his mother fall to the floor. He gulped. He wanted to call out to her, but she had forbidden him from saying a single word. "Take her, and let's go. We got what the boss wants. It'll be a while before she wakes. Hit her pretty damn hard."

"The boss'll have fun with her; such a feisty vixen!" another man laughed as the footsteps receded. The hatch closed. And a few minutes later, the noises stopped.

He was all alone.

Slowly, he crawled out from underneath the cot. He inhaled deep breaths and noticed his mother's phone still charging. He picked it up and dialed Walter's number. He held the phone to his ear. And when he heard Walter's concerned voice, Ralph couldn't speak. He was too scared to say a single word.

"Paige?" Walter called for Ralph's mother.

Her name alone brought panic. He gulped and felt sick. He was finally able to speak. "W-walter," his voice trembled.

"Ralph?" Walter's tone changed; it seemed fearful. Ralph didn't know what to make of all of these emotions he was feeling nor the ones Walter seemed to be conveying. It was all too much for him to handle. "Ralph. Where's your mother?" Walter's voice was calm but also stern.

He didn't answer.

There was silence, and then Walter said, "Okay, buddy. I understand. Happy and Toby are already on their way back to the garage so be strong; I'm on my way."

The line went dead.

And Ralph sank to the ground. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled his knees to his chest, buried his head into his lap and waited as he counted to 1000.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

"What is it, kid?" Cabe asked as Walter ended the call.

"It was Ralph." Walter replied as he rushed over to Paige's car and slammed his hands against the hood. "They took her, Cabe!" He shouted and then inhaled a deep breath. "They took her."

"And we're going to get her back." Cabe said as he patted Walter's shoulder. "Come on; let's go. A little boy is at home alone and needs you right now."

"Right." Walter nodded and pushed everything he was feeling into the back of his head. They hopped into the car and strapped themselves in.

"Break every damn traffic law you need to, Walter." Cabe commanded. "Make this car fly, kid."

"Oh. I intent on it." Walter said as he wheeled his way away from the shambled warehouse and floored on the gas.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

**Of all of the things I had planned for this story, this chapter was not one of them. But somehow, my fingers kept typing…. O_O Don't hate me! I needed to add some suspense somehow! X_x **

**Next chapter should be an interesting one. **

**And you thought you were done with this whole Drew business. **

**Nope!**

**MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! **

**Let me know what you think! :D**


	27. Chapter 27

**WriterFreak001: **

This will most likely be a short update because there is a one-shot I would like to work on before "Charades." :)

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 27**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

The second Walter parked outside of the garage, both he and Cabe hopped out of Paige's car and bolted inside when they noticed the retinal scanner in shambles on the ground next to the door. The first person Walter spotted was Ralph; he was sitting on the couch next to Toby while Happy was working on something at her computer. Walter noticed the state Ralph was in, and it looked as though the boy had mentally shut himself down.

"Happy and I found him like that in the safe room." Toby took off his hat. "I had to carry him out of there because he wouldn't regain function; he's gone catatonic. We tried to gently shake him out of it, but nothing." Toby brushed his hand through his hair. "I don't think anybody but Paige would be able to get him out of it."

Walter closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I was afraid of this."

"Afraid of what?" Cabe inquired as he placed his hand on Walter's shoulder.

"His present state is not involuntary," Walter's jaw hardened. "Because no one was here, he went inside his mind where he felt the safest. If we're not careful, we might push him further away, but if we don't do anything, he might not recover." Walter rubbed his temples. "Toby, Happy's working on something. Go see if she needs help."

"Okay," Toby nodded and sprung to his feet as he headed towards Happy's desk.

Walter clenched his fists as he looked at Ralph. He had failed at protecting the boy; he had promised Ralph that he and Paige would be safe – that nothing would harm them as long as they were within the walls of the garage. Some walls…. As he approached him, Cabe said he would make some calls and see if he could find something useful. The agent who came with Toby and Happy knew some people who were familiar with the Leviathan Mafia and could help so he left to go to a different section of the garage in order to place a few calls. Walter knelt in front of Ralph and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"Ralph," he spoke as calmly as he could, "it's me, Walter."

No response.

"Ralph." Walter spoke again. "It's me, Walter, and I'm back like I said I'd be. Toby and Happy and Cabe are here too. We're going to do whatever we have to in order to bring your mother back here safely. But in order to do that," his palms found the boy's cheeks, "we need your help, Ralph. I know I've made terrible promises in the past, but I promise – no – I _swear _to you you're safe now." Walter inhaled a deep breath. "I know you feel safe inside your little cocoon; believe me, I've been there. I know what it's like. It might seem great at first – because you're only surrounded by thought; it's an amazing place to be sometimes. But it's not always a great place, and it's not where you belong, Ralph. You belong in Scorpion. And as a part of Scorpion, you need to climb out of your shell and help us find your mother. She needs you, Ralph. Your mother needs you."

Ralph blinked a few times, responding to Walter's statement and then gulped. Silent tears fell from the boy's eyes. Walter ruffled Ralph's hair and squeezed the boy's hand. "You want to help your mother, right?"

Ralph slowly nodded and swallowed again.

"Okay," Walter nodded and then called for Toby.

"Yeah?" Toby exclaimed as he raced over to them. "Oh, hey Ralph! So glad you're back!"

Before the boy could respond, Walter cut to the chase. "I need you to find out what Ralph remembers; but don't force him too much. Okay?"

"Leave it to me." Toby tipped his hat. "Hey Ralph!" Toby then turned to the boy and knelt to the floor. "You like playing with Rubik's Cubes, right?" Ralph slowly nodded, but he obviously wasn't in the mood to play with one at the moment. Walter wondered what Toby was trying to get at. "Why don't you show me your fastest time in solving the Rubik's cube? I'm sure it'll be lots of fun." Toby lifted his eyebrows and smiled.

"Okay." Ralph shrugged. Ralph sauntered over to Walter's desk and searched for the Rubick's Cube.

"What are you trying to do, Toby?" Walter inquired as he folded his arms in front of him.

"No time for explanations right now, Walt. Just trust me that I know what I'm doing." Toby replied as Ralph returned.

"Okay." Walter nodded.

Toby continued. "Walter, mix that Rubik's Cube up as much as possible; do it behind your back if you'd like." Ralph handed Walter the cube. Walter took it behind his back and twisted the cube in several directions as fast as he could; then he handed it back to Ralph. "Now, Ralph, while you're trying to fix the cube, tell me…tell Walter… what you remember; it could help us a lot."

As Ralph started to fix the cube, he nodded and began telling Toby and Walter what had happened. "We heard noises. Lots of crashing noises. Mom was standing in a blind spot from the hatch opening; it was really dark." Walter suddenly realized why Toby had wanted Ralph to play with the cube; by keeping his mind constantly working, it would enable Ralph to focus more on the details of the memory as opposed to the emotions he had experienced when his mother was taken. An experience such as the one Ralph had gone through would be enough to disorient his brain from functioning properly – especially after he sent himself into the rabbit hole. Ralph gulped and continued. "I heard footsteps and then a flashlight turned on. They found her, but she fought. She rammed her flashlight into the bad guy's head; he got mad and pushed her to the ground. She fought back. Then more men came. She couldn't hold them all off; one hit her hard. She fell and lost consciousness. Then they left."

Walter noticed that Ralph had finished fixing the cube so he took it, messed with it again and then handed it back to the boy. "Where were you when all of this happened?"

"Under the cot." Ralph replied as he finished reorganizing the cube again. "Are they going to kill her?" His voice cracked.

"We won't let that happen." Toby squeezed Ralph's shoulder. Ralph then looked at Walter.

"I swear we will get her back." Walter didn't know what else to say; one promise had already been broken, and he didn't even want to think about what they might do to Paige.

Suddenly Cabe and his agent walked up to them. "Can I speak to you Walter? Over there?" He gestured towards the area under the stairs.

"Okay." Walter nodded and pushed him to his feet. Ralph didn't let go of his hand, though.

"I promise, kid," Cabe said to Ralph, "It'll only be for a minute."

Ralph nodded and then released Walter's hand reluctantly. Walter followed Cabe and the agent towards the space underneath the stairs and folded his arms in front of him. "What is it?" Walter inquired.

"Got good news and bad news." Cabe started. Walter frowned. He never liked hearing that statement. "The good news: Agent Sorenson," Cabe pointed to the man standing next to him, "has a contact who is actually working with one of the reformed gang members; the reformed gang member is willing to help anyway he can."

"What's the bad?"

"I was informed by one of my contacts," Cabe paused and sighed, "that the Leviathan Mafia is known for heinous deeds; including sex trafficking." Walter's jaw hardened. "That gives us at most a twenty-four hour window to catch those bastards before Paige disappears from LA for good."

Walter closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Then what are we doing standing around here for?"

"Cabe! Walt! Come here!" Happy hollered. "I think I've found something!"

"What is it, Happy?!" Walter raced over towards Happy's desk and examined her computer. Cabe quickly followed.

"It took some decent hacking, but I managed to identify the owner of that cellphone number you had given to Sly earlier. Name: Julio Rodriguez. And guess what? He just booked a flight to LA tonight and will be arriving at LAX in five hours."

"Contact Sylvester. We need Drew to confirm whether or not this Julio Rodriguez is his loan shark." Cabe said as he pulled out his phone. "I'll have my phone ready to call LAX once it's confirmed. Does he have any priors?"

"He was charged with assault and battery. Pleaded guilty and got nine months in a correctional facility." Walter said as he read Julio's profile.

"Then there's no telling if this guy is armed." Cabe frowned. "Like I said before; bad guys are getting smarter. For all we know, Mr. Rodriguez could have smuggled a weapon onto the plane without anybody ever noticing it."

Walter called Sylvester with Skype on his tablet and waited impatiently for the human calculator to answer. "Walter? What is it? Is everything all right? Is Paige all right? What about Ralph? Is he all right too?!"

"Calm down, Sly and breathe while Walt speaks." Happy barked; she was clearly agitated.

"W-what is it?"

"Sylvester, we need you to give your phone to Merrick ASAP." Walter spoke quickly. "And we need to know ASAP."

"O-okay!" Sylvester nodded. "Merrick is in the room now questioning Drew right now. Should I wait?"

"No you dumbass!" Cabe snapped. "ASAP means ASAP!"

"Right." Sylvester gulped and then placed his phone down. They heard the human calculator call frantically for Director Merrick as he persistently knocked on some door.

"What is it, you moron?!" Merrick shouted as he opened the door. "I'm in the middle of an interrogation!"

"Um. You see." Sylvester picked up his phone again. "Walter needs to talk to you." Seconds later, Merrick's face popped onto the screen.

"This better be good."

"It's important." Walter nodded. "I need you to bring that phone to Drew; we think we might have found the identity of his loan shark, but we need confirmation."

The director looked as though he bit his tongue from saying something harsh. Then he sighed. "Fine. Make it quick." Merrick carried the phone into the interrogation room and handed it to Drew. When Drew's face appeared on the screen, Walter wanted to jump into the pixels and punch the living daylights out of the man. That was when Cabe commandeered Walter's tablet and told him either to make himself useful in some other way or give Ralph some company. Walter considered the second option but time was of the essence; he walked over to the boy, ruffled his hair and patted him on the shoulder before making his way to his desk to hack into the security cameras across the street.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

Paige's head throbbed in pain as she opened her eyes. She froze as she remembered what had happened. Her mouth was covered with duct tape; her hands were tied behind her back with zip ties, and her ankles were bound together too. She heard voices to her right when she realized she was in the back of a moving van; they were probably transporting her somewhere remote so that they could kill her off without anybody ever finding her body. She wanted to scream for help, but she couldn't. She noticed that the owners of those voices weren't even paying attention to her. They were busy up front talking and laughing. If she was going to escape, it had to be right then and there. She slowly felt around for anything that could help her loosen or cut the zip tie around her wrists.

She felt something unbearably sharp behind her; she didn't think about what it could have been and acted quickly. She slowly scooted herself to the left until she was directly in front of the sharp object. Then she slid the zip tie over the blade and began to gradually saw off her zip tie against the blade – if that was what it was – until it was loose enough for her to break on her own. The blade pierced her palm. She bit back a scream and clenched her teeth. She closed her eyes and waited a few seconds in case the men in the front heard her. When she didn't hear them curse or try to apprehend her, she continued. She scooted slightly away from the sharp object and was grateful to find out that it was a switchblade. She slowly reached for it and carefully bent over to loosen her ankles. Then she ripped off the tape from her mouth. She winced from the pain.

She knew what she had to do. She quietly slid over to the back door of the van, gave one look towards her captors. The car hit a bump, and she groaned as her head bobbled against the window behind her.

"You hear something?" one said.

"Yeah. I did." Another answered. She froze as they looked back at her. "HEY!" he screamed. This was it! This was her chance. She reached for the latch of the vehicle, pushed the back door open and as the man climbed into the back of the van, she jumped towards the side of the road and rolled towards the side of the road. Shots were fired, but she managed to push herself back to her feet and bolted away from the highway towards a dark alley.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001:<strong>

**Told you it was going to be short. **

**What did you think?**


	28. Chapter 28

**WriterFreak001: **

Sorry for the delay! Been watching 1x14 "Charades" over and over and over again because I'm FREAKING OBSESSED with that episode! Best episode yet! :D

I apologize if the last chapter seemed rushed. I was trying to get it done BEFORE I had to leave to go somewhere. Hopefully this chapter will be better paced.

PS. After Googling the surrounding sites of LA, I changed the last few sentences of the previous chapter to fit the terrain better. I don't live in LA nor have I ever been out west to California soooo pardon me for my geological error. I didn't realize how big of a city Los Angeles actually was!

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 28**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

The moment Paige jumped onto the streets and darted down a dark alley, two of the three vans that were in pursuit of her abruptly screeched their tires and veered in her direction. She wanted to scream for help, but her throat was too dry, and she felt as though her heart was jumping out of her ribcage. She looked behind her and saw one of the vans closing in on her. She ran faster. Out of nowhere, the other van whipped around the corner and blocked her path. She stopped dead in her tracks as men climbed out of the vans and approached her. She backed up against the brick wall behind her. Her side began to throb, but she couldn't worry about it now; she needed to find a way to escape and fast.

The pain in her side was pulsing stronger, and she assumed that she probably broke a rib when she fell out of the vehicle. She bit her lip but the rest of her body had frozen with fear. She spotted a security camera on the side of the building in front of her and realized that it would be her only saving grace if she found some way to get the owner's attention.

As they drew nearer to her, the man who had grabbed her in the garage pulled out his gun and cocked it. "You think you're so smart, don't you?" he chuckled before his menacing grin darkened. The next thing she knew, a shot was fired. She screamed in agony as she fell to the ground and clutched her left leg. "HOW ABOUT NOW?!" Her captor shouted. She rocked and coddled her leg as she cried for help; praying that _someone _would hear her. "SHUT UP!" She felt a blow to her stomach. And another one! And another one!

"Stefano!" a member shouted, forcing her attacker to stop his assault. "The boss wants her alive! You keep that up, you'll kill her!" He pushed the guy back to release the rest of his anger. Paige's eyes stung with tears as she opened them; she spotted a pair of frightened eyes in the distance. The men started fighting; she used what little ounce of energy she had within her and slowly dipped her finger into her pool of blood. On the asphalt, next to her head, she wrote only two words, praying that her captors wouldn't notice. Paige tried to sit up and could still feel the pair of eyes watching everything that was happening.

And then Stefano – if that was even his name – pulled out a switchblade and drove it into the man who had stopped him from killing Paige. He fell over as Paige heard a young girl's scream. The men snapped their heads towards the source, and the girl dropped the bag of trash she was holding. Paige mustered as much of her strength as she could and yelled at the girl to run. The girl scurried away and as a few members darted in her direction, another called out to them and demanded for them to get their asses back into the van; there was no time for delays.

Two men grabbed Paige's arms and dragged her into the van again; she wanted to fight back, but she felt dizzy. And as the vehicle sped away, everything went dark.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

For the past hour, Walter scanned several possible locations as to where the Leviathan Mafia might use as their headquarters, but he was coming up empty. He skimmed through several camera feeds at once as well as hacked into China's satellite in hopes that _something _would help! "Toby!" he called for the shrink, "I need a better list!"

"I'm sorry, Walt, but those are all of the locations in which Agent Sorenson's contacts have encountered gang activity in LA. We are all doing everything we can in order to find Paige." Toby sighed as he walked towards Walter. "But…, you need to realize the possibility th—"

"The possibility of what?!" Walter interjected as he rose to his feet. "The possibility that we might not find her?! Is that what you were going to say, Toby?!" Walter ran his hands through his hair and started to pace in circles.

"Walt, take a beat. You're obviously worked up, and you can't help Paige in the state you are in." Toby said as he folded his arms in front of him. "I'll scan the footages for you. Get some rest."

"I'm not quitting." Walter snapped as he raced back to his chair.

"I didn't sa—"

"Why are you still here?" Walter looked up at Toby as he sat down. "You have a job to do. Now do it."

Toby inhaled a deep breath, shook his head and released a long sigh before walking back to his computer. As Walter started his process again, Cabe made his way over to him. "Kid, the doc's right. You either need to get some rest while we figure things out from here, or you need to clear your mind and reset. We can't have you blocking us out too, Walter."

As Cabe reached for Walter's shoulder, he jerked away. "Cabe," Walter closed his eyes and steepled his fingers together. "I don't need anyone telling me what to do."

"I beg to disagree!" Cabe frowned. "In situations like this, Walter, you can't afford to be reckless. I get it, Walter. You love her. You love her so goddamn much that you're willing to do anything and everything you can to save her. But in order to do that, Walt, you need to take care of yourself first."

Walter slammed his fists on his desk and rose to his feet. "You're not my father, Cabe! Stop telling me what to do!" Walter pushed past him and stormed towards the stairs. The moment he was in the loft, he grabbed the nearest coffee mug and slammed it at the wall. He grabbed another. And another. And another. As he picked up another one, a strong pair of small hands grabbed his wrist.

"Stop it, Walt!" Happy exclaimed. He ripped his arm away from her and threw the mug at the wall; it shattered into pieces. Happy blocked him from grabbing another one. "I like smashing things as much as the next guy," Happy's fists balled, "but at the rate you're going, you'll be back in the Rabbit Hole faster than the time Collins sent you down there! And I'm not going to tolerate that!"

"At least I wouldn't have to deal with all of you down there." Walter's eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm going to let that one slide since you're in a very pissed off mood right now, but if you don't get it together, Walter, you can guarantee that Paige'll be gone for good. Now, you have two options. You can continue throwing your temper tantrum and increase the chances of Ralph losing his mother, OR," Happy jabbed her finger into his chest, "You can pull yourself together, get your ass down there and help the rest of us save your girlfriend!" She backed away from him and headed for the stairs. Then she turned around. "So what will it be?"

Walter inhaled a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the facts and the details. Then he opened his eyes. "I need to check the safe room!"

"Cabe's already done that." Happy said as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

"I'm going to do it again." Walter replied as he rushed past her and bolted down the stars. He pulled out his phone, turned on its flashlight and opened the hatch before slipping down inside the safe room.

"Whatever you're looking for," Happy said as she started to descend the ladder, "You might need help."

"Call for Ralph," Walter ordered; "I need to know exactly where Paige was hiding."

Happy nodded and called for Ralph. The boy peered over the hatch a minute later, and Walter asked him to tell him where Paige was hiding when the men grabbed her. Ralph pointed to the darkened corner behind Walter. Walter turned around and scanned the area. When Ralph left, Happy raised an eyebrow. "Wanna tell me why we're down here?"

"Ralph said earlier that there was a struggle. So… it's possible someone might have unintentionally left something behind." Walter replied as he bent down and searched the ground.

"Hang on." Happy said as she climbed back up the ladder. "I've got an idea." As she disappeared, Walter continued to look.

Before she came back, he looked up towards the hatch and saw Cabe towering over the opening. "We may have a lead. I suggest you get your ass up here because LAPD just received a distress call and are requesting your presence, Walter."

Walter nodded and made his way up the ladder. "Did they say what it was about?"

"I'll explain on the way." Cabe said as Walter grabbed his things. "The rest of you!" Cabe called out to everyone, "Keep working! Call me if you have anything!" As Cabe pushed open the front door, Walter told Ralph to stay strong, ruffled the boy's hair and then asked Agent Sorenson to keep an eye on the boy. He also asked Toby to make sure Ralph doesn't blank out again. Once he made sure everyone was working on their assignments, he scrambled out the door and followed Cabe.

"I'll drive!" Walter called out to Cabe. Cabe tossed Walter his squad car's keys and then hopped into the passenger's side of the car. Walter climbed into the driver's seat, buckled himself in, turn on Cabe's siren and sped away after Cabe told him where to go.

**~ SCORPION ~**

"So they don't know if this woman that young girl saw was Paige?" Walter asked as he parked the squad car. They hopped out of the SUV, slammed the doors and made their way to a flock of policemen.

"Nothing was guaranteed, but based on SOS they found, they think it might be." Cabe replied; he winced as he readjusted his sling.

"How did they even know she was missing?" Walter inquired as he picked up his pace.

"I made a few calls." Cabe answered without explaining anything else. "Even if we don't have any leads here, both FBI and Homeland are at LAX waiting for Mr. Rodriguez to land. We were grateful that Drew was able to ID him."

Walter didn't say anything; he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a coroner zipping up a body inside a bag. Without thinking, he sprinted over to the bag and pushed the coroner aside before he bent down to unzip the bag.

"HEY!" the coroner yelled as he tried to keep Walter from opening the body bag, "You're not authorized to do that!"

Walter tried shoving him away from him, but the coroner met him with equal force. "I need to see who's in that bag!" Walter exclaimed as he continued to reach for the zipper.

An officer grabbed Walter by the arm and tried to pull him off of the ground. "Sir, you can't be back here."

"He's with me!" Cabe called out. Cabe flashed his badge, "Homeland Security. Now let him through!"

The coroner and the officer released Walter; he dropped to his knees and held his breath as he unzipped the bag. "It's not her." Walter sighed with relief as he stepped away from the body. Meaning, there was still a chance she was alive.

"And who are you, exactly?" The officer raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms in front of her.

"Walter O'Brien," Cabe replied on Walter's behalf. "He was asked to come down here by Detective Julia Lambert. The name's Agent Cabe Gallo, Walter's handler. Honestly," Cabe frowned, "Why the hell am I explaining myself? Don't you nimrods know how to communicate?"

"Well, you certainly haven't changed," a woman said behind Walter. "Same temper as always, I see."

Cabe and Walter turned around. "Detective Lambert." Cabe nodded towards the mid-forties Asian woman, and she winked at him. Cabe approached her. "I hate to be crass, but I've got me a sensitive missing person's case on my hands; now, tell me, what d'you need my guy for?"

"I was hoping Mr. O'Brien could tell me." Detective Lambert frowned. "Follow me." As Walter and Cabe followed the detective, Walter noticed tire marks in the alley; he also saw a security camera. "Now, Mr. O'Brien, can you tell me what this is?" She stepped out of the way and pointed her flashlight to a spot on the asphalt. His name was written in blood. His jaw hardened when he saw the pool of fresh blood barely a yard away from the message.

"Isn't it obvious?" Cabe asked as Walter dropped to his knees to examine the message. "It's an SOS from his girlfriend, Paige Dineen."

"Is it?" the detective raised her brow. She called for Walter. "Mr. O'Brien, where were you tonight between 7 PM and 8:45 PM?"

"Just what the hell are you implying?" Cabe said before Walter could answer.

"Just doing my job." Detective Lambert replied before she asked again, "Mr. O'Brien?"

"I was with Cabe." Walter replied. "About 50 people can confirm my whereabouts." Walter noticed a small object reflecting off of the flashlight. He crawled towards it, careful not to touch the blood, and then slammed his fist against the brick wall.

"Son, what is it?" Cabe inquired as he placed a hand on Walter's back.

"Paige was here." Walter inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn't afford to lose his temper.

"How can you be so sure?" Cabe asked.

"Because," Walter pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, picked up the tiny object and held it out in front of Cabe. "This is Paige's earring."

Detective Lambert walked up to him with an evidence bag. "We're going to have to take that for analysis."

"No way." Walter clamped his hand around the earring.

"If you don't give me that earring right now, I'll charge you for hindering the investigation." Detective Lambert challenged Walter. Walter looked at Cabe, and the agent sighed.

"Give it to her," Cabe said as he helped Walter back to his feet. "We'll be able to get it back once the case is closed."

Walter frowned, dropped the earring into the bag and began to march away when the detective grabbed his arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going somewhere where I know work is getting done." Walter spat as he ripped his arm away from the detective.

"Oh no, you're not." Detective Lambert walked in front of him and blocked his path. "Until we can prove you're not part of this scheme, Mr. O'Brien, you're our first leading suspect."

"Detective," Cabe stepped in front of Walter. "Walter may be a lot of things, but he isn't a criminal. I've known him since he was a young boy and can vouch for him."

"Fine," Detective Lambert replied, "Then I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we confiscate his laptop until further notice."

"I'm not letting you do that." Walter replied, but Cabe ordered him to get his laptop. Walter balked. "I need this laptop for the case!"

"Son, trust me; cooperating is your best bet right now. You have nothing to hide." Cabe said. "Now go and get your laptop."

Before he could say something he would regret, Walter marched off towards the SUV, pulled his briefcase out of the car and made his way back to Cabe and Detective Lambert. "When you have your proof, I want an apology." Walter handed the case to the detective and then folded his arms in front of him.

"If you're innocent, I'll send you a Hallmark card." Detective Lambert said as she handed Walter's case to another officer. "Until then, I suggest you don't leave LA for the time being. We may not have enough to hold you, yet, but if there's any evidence out there linking you to this crime, we'll find it. Have a good night, gentlemen." Detective Lambert waved and then walked away from them.

"Sorry, Walter. Protocol can be a bitch sometimes." Cabe frowned and patted Walter's back. They made it back to the garage in record time and stormed into the building. Walter raced to his desk as Cabe followed. "Come to think of it," Cabe said as everyone else crowded around Walter, wondering what had happened, "the case you gave the detective…it wasn't the same color as the usual case you bring on our assignments."

"I'm surprised it took you that long to figure that out," Walter said as he reached behind him and pulled out his usual case where he stored his laptop. "I did some thinking…. Toby had mentioned a few days ago that it's possible for gangs to have someone one the inside. Trust me, no gang is that good. Someone somewhere always leaves some trace of evidence."

Cabe smirked. "So you figured out you couldn't trust anybody on the force since the LA syndicate is primarily under the LAPD's jurisdiction."

"Exactly. Someone must be on the inside getting rid of trace evidence." Walter nodded. "Because of my personal involvement on the case, I anticipated that _someone _would eventually consider me a suspect and would want to see my computer. But don't worry," Walter smirked. "That laptop I gave them is phony. All it has is my strongest encryption software and a few heavily encrypted documents on there. If anything," Walter closed up his case and slid it back underneath his desk. He logged onto his computer, "it buys us time."

"How much time?" Cabe inquired.

"An eternity," Toby, Happy and Sylvester replied in unison. Cabe looked at them.

"Next to Walter," Sylvester suddenly said, "I'm the next best hacker on the team; as a test, once, I tried hacking into his system, but after the first hour, I only made it at least a tenth of the way through the first firewall."

"Not to chop anyone's nuts or anything," Toby jumped in, "But why did they want you, Walt?"

Walter frowned. "One of the Leviathan Mafia members, I assume, was killed tonight. Probably wasn't following orders. I don't know. Anyway," Walter explained as he tapped away on his computer, "I don't know exactly what happened, but we're about to find out."

"How?" Toby raised his eyebrow.

"I noticed a security camera while I was down there; chances are, the LAPD already has their hands on it. All I need to do is hack in," he continued typing, "and I'm in!"

"Agent Sorenson!" Cabe called towards his agent. "Take Ralph upstairs."

"Yes sir." The agent exclaimed before he picked up a sleeping Ralph and carried him up the steps.

"Thank God it's a night vision camera. I wonder if the owner had any robberies as of lately." Toby said as everyone gathered around Walter as he zoomed through the feed. "There!" Toby pointed towards the screen when all of them saw Paige running. Walter held his breath as the whole event played before his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he saw the gun fire at her. Before the feed had finished, Walter rose to his feet and walked away from his desk. Cabe followed him as everyone else continued to analyze the footage.

"I know what you're feeling, son, but all of those negative thoughts running through your mind won't help your current position in the case right now. You're already a person of interest; don't become the perpetrator." Cabe said as he circled around Walter to stop him from doing something reckless. "Use what you're feeling inside to motivate you, Walter. I promise, we'll catch those bastards. And once we find them, they'll have Cabe Gallo to answer to."

Before Walter could answer, Happy exclaimed, "We've got plates!"

"Run them through!" Cabe called back.

"On it!" Happy nodded as she raced to her desk.

"We've also got a name!" Sylvester added. "Stefano!"

"Hack into the FBI database and see if you can find anybody with that name from LA who has priors!" Cabe ordered Sylvester.

"Happily," Sylvester replied. "But…how would you spell it? S-T-E-P-H-A-N-O? Or, S-T-E-F-A-N-O?"

"Just run both!" Cabe hollered.

"Right!"

Toby walked up to them. "Walt," Toby frowned, "Things aren't looking good for Paige. It's hard to tell exactly where she was shot, but from what I was able to gather, it looks as though she was shot very close to the femoral artery. Without proper treatment, she could bleed to death. Gangs like the Leviathan Mafia aren't going to stop at a hospital or a clinic to patch her up; so, if their boss deems her worthless, he won't hesitate to kill her before the delivery even happens."

Cabe's phone rang. As he walked away to answer it, Walter inhaled a deep breath. "When we find her," Walter had to stay positive even if it wasn't realistic, "I'll need you to," he swallowed and inhaled another deep breath.

"Don't worry, buddy. I'll be there." Toby said as he patted Walter's back.

"That was Agent Fuller!" Cabe suddenly announced. "They've picked up Mr. Rodriguez and are bring him to HQ. I've gotta be there for questioning, so if you are able to track those plates, call me, and I'll meet you over there."

"What century are you from?" Happy looked up from her computer. "I've already tracked them."

"And you didn't say anything because…?" Cabe said as he, Walter and Toby made their way to Happy's desk.

"I didn't want to ruin your precious bromance moment," Happy shrugged, looking at Toby and Walter. "Anyway, they've stopped at secluded warehouse along the waterfront. I'm trying to see if I can hack into any security system that's out there, but I'm not getting any clear signals anywhere."

Happy streamed the information onto the smart TV. Walter memorized the map.

"I'll call for backup," Cabe said, "Then I'll request for another agent to stand in for me and try to beat the information out of that bastard." Cabe headed for the door. "Well, what are you geniuses just standing there for?! Let's bring home our girl!"

"Sylvester," Walter called out to the human calculator, "Stay here in case we need someone to keep tabs on those plates for us."

"Will do." Sylvester nodded as he rubbed his hands with hand sanitizer.

"Happy! Toby! Take the van and get there as fast as you can. When you get close," Walter looked towards Happy, "go into stealth mode. We don't want to alert them."

"You got it!" Happy nodded as she grabbed her things and ran out the door.

As Toby made his way to the door himself, he turned around and bolted to his desk. "I forgot my hat!"

"And if you don't hurry up, that'll be the last thing you'll ever remember, too!" Cabe barked at him.

"What?" Toby shrugged. "You told us to suit up! Walt ordered Happy and I to go into stealth mode. And now you're telling me you want to crush poor Sly's dreams of us being superheroes?! Make up your freakin' mind!"

Before Cabe could clobber Toby, the shrink leaped out of the way and scrambled out the door. As Walter heard the wheels screech, Cabe quickly called Homeland, requested for backup and told Agent Sorenson to stay put and watch over the boy. Then, Walter and Cabe headed out again and followed Happy.

**~ SCORPION ~**

**Paige's POV**

Paige's eyes fluttered open as she took in her surroundings. Her hands and ankles were shackled together, and she was sitting against a cold wall in a dim-lit room. Her head swooned as her eyes adjusted. She felt so weak. Disoriented. She couldn't even lift her head or cry for help.

And she was beginning to lose hope.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

In case you haven't read my stuff before, I eventually tend to get pretty violent in my stories. However, I think this chapter will be the most violent one in the fanfiction, but I can't make any promises. Sorry if this chapter didn't sit well with you; I'm enjoying writing it! I can only hope you are enjoying reading it! :D

BY THE WAY, THAT ENDING OF 'FORGET ME NOTS'! OH MY GOD! WHAT AN ENDING! O_O


	29. Chapter 29

**WriterFreak001: **

As a celebration for having over 300 reviews, this chapter is my treat to you! ;)

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 29**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

**Walter's POV**

"Now," Cabe said as Walter sped down the highway, "When we get there, don't do anything stupid or reckless. First of all, we don't know if she's even there; second, we don't have any idea what we're up against. For all we know, they could be waiting for us."

Walter ignored Cabe's statement and immediately asked, "Where's that pen pick prototype you used on that one case when the CIA were involved?"

"Why?" Cabe asked suspiciously as he raised his right eyebrow.

"No reason," Walter deadpanned and then added, "Like you said; we don't know what we're up against. Paige may be in there, and if she is, she's probably tied up and that gadget might come in handy." Walter made an abrupt right-hand turn.

Cabe held onto the handlebar and said, "In the glove department."

"Okay." Walter nodded and slowed the car down as he neared the warehouse; Happy was already parked and waiting beside the van with Toby. Walter turned off the car lights and slowly pulled to a stop.

"Backup is still on the way so don't do anything stupid in the meantime." Cabe ordered everyone in a low voice as he opened his door. "As I was telling Walter, we don't know what we're up against, and we DEFINITELY do not want to compromise ANYTHING. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Happy nodded.

"Sounds good to me." Toby gave Cabe a thumb's up as Walter quietly opened the glove department, located the pen pick and slipped out of the vehicle.

As he sprinted towards the warehouse, he heard Cabe quietly yell for him to get his ass back into the car, but Walter ignored him. He wasn't going to waste any more time; for all he knew, backup wouldn't arrive for another fifteen minutes. Paige might not even have fifteen minutes. He approached the metal door and jiggled on the handle, but it wouldn't budge. He inserted the pen pick, methodically twisted the gadget until he heard a click and then proceeded to go inside. Cabe's voice within his com device kept ordering him to return before he got himself killed, but Walter refused to go back and wait for backup. He slowly walked into the warehouse and hid behind a column when he saw two men walk past him.

They sat down on a sofa and turned on a TV. Walter scanned the room and saw other members doing strange things to pass the time; he figured they were waiting for someone – perhaps their boss… or the loan shark. At least they were preoccupied. He noted the darkened corridor of stairs and saw puddles of what looked like fresh blood trailing up the steps. He looked back towards the gang members, quickly darted for the next pillar and froze.

"You see that?" one of the members asked; Walter dared not to make his presence known.

"I don't see nothin'." Another one replied.

"I coulda sworn…" the first member's voice died down. "Never mind…probably one of those damn cats."

Walter held his breath and peered over the corner of the column; the members were back to their activities. He took that chance to bolt for the stairs. He then checked back towards the gang members and they seemed not to have noticed him the second time. He quietly walked up the stairs, following the trail of blood. He made his way into the loft and was grateful that no one was up there; they probably didn't think Paige would be able to escape due to the extent of her injuries. Walter scanned the area and spotted her near the far corner of the loft. "She's here," he muttered into his com device. He swiftly approached her; she was very pale.

"Are you with her right now?" Toby asked into his ear.

"Yes," Walter muttered. "She's lost a lot of blood."

"Where is her wound?"

"Uhhh…middle part of her upper leg." Walter stammered. It was hard for his mind to function under extreme circumstances.

"Listen carefully, Walt. You're wearing a tie, right?" Toby inquired.

"Yes." Walter nodded.

"Good. Take it off and tie it as tight as you can around her femoral artery to stint the blood flow." Walter did as Toby said and tied it as tightly as he could before the shrink gave his next list of instructions. "Then, apply pressure to her wound to keep whatever blood that's passed through the artery canal from leaving her body."

Walter pressed his hands against her wound. "What now?"

"Backup just arrived," Cabe mumbled. "Where are the two of you located?"

"We're in the upper loft." Walter replied. "No one is up here; everyone's downstairs."

"Good." Cabe sighed. "Stay there; don't move an inch. SWAT, Homeland and FBI agents are moving in now; I'm going to have Toby follow in quietly and assist. I'll send a Homeland agent up with him in case there are unforeseen complications."

"Kay." Walter muttered. He continued applying pressure to Paige's wound and tried not to let his internal emotions cloud his judgment; he heard a commotion going on downstairs. Gunshots were fired. Men were yelling and screaming. When he heard loud stomps coming up towards the loft, he grew rigid but released the breath he had been holding when Toby and an agent filed into the loft.

Toby opened his briefcase as he hovered over the opposite side of Paige. Then he took out a tampon and ripped the packaging off of it. "Don't judge; I know what I'm doing" he quickly said before ordering Walter to remove his hands. Toby then wedged the tampon inside Paige's wound. Toby then checked her pulse; "Her heart's still beating, but it's faint. See if you can try to get her to wake up; we can't afford for her to fall asleep right now."

"Okay," Walter nodded. He wiped his hands against his pants and then cupped her face. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, hoping she would open her eyes. He muttered her name softly and leaned his forehead against hers. He continued to whisper her name and beg her to open her eyes or at least respond to him in some manner.

Paige's eyes fluttered open, and she muttered Walter's name. Her voice was quiet and weak. He held her gaze and barely noticed the units filing into the loft.

"It's over. We got 'em." Cabe suddenly said as he stood behind Walter and patted his back. "EMTs have just arrived. They're on their way up as we speak. Despite disobeying orders, you did good, kid."

Walter then remembered the pen pick; he removed one of his hands from Paige's face and handed it to Cabe. "Here. Do the honors."

"Be glad to." Cabe replied.

As he unlocked the shackles, Walter muttered sweet words – words he didn't want anybody but Paige to hear – to her and assured her she was safe again. The EMTs came into the loft with a gurney; Walter stepped aside for a split moment to allow the EMTs to lift Paige off of the ground and place her onto the gurney. They hurried out of the loft, and Walter was right behind them.

**~ SCORPION ~**

It had been a long night for the Scorpion team. After multiple blood transfusions and extensive surgery, Paige was immediately transferred to the ICU. The doctors found the bullet lodged into her leg and removed it; luckily, the bullet only fractured her bone. The wound had been exposed for a long time so she had to be monitored in case she contracted an infection. They injected her with an antibiotic and painkillers to help with the healing process.

Cabe also had his collarbone X-rayed as the team waited for news on Paige. Toby had been right about Cabe's injury, but unfortunately, safe for rest and painkillers, there wasn't much the doctors could do.

Walter was pacing the floor; Toby leaned against the wall; Happy was sitting in a chair, squeezing a stress ball as she held her favorite wrench in her other hand; Sylvester was seated in the chair next to Happy, biting his nails, while Ralph impatiently sat next to Sylvester. Shortly after Cabe returned, the doctor came into the waiting room. Walter stopped pacing and inquired about Paige's condition.

"She's stable, for now." the doctor replied as she tucked her clipboard underneath her arm. "She had lost a lot of blood and endured extensive injuries which required immediate surgery. Due to her blood loss, she will be receiving blood transfusions frequently and will be monitored for the possibility of infection."

"Will she recover?" Sylvester stammered as he stood up and walked up to Walter and Cabe.

"In time, yes." The doctor smiled. "She's awake now; visiting hours are over so only family can stay the night. She needs her rest so if you all want to see her, only two at a time, please. She's in room 315B."

As the doctor walked away, Toby stretched his arms and said, "Well, I think it's a given on who's staying the night here. So why don't we stragglers make it quick so Paige can have her beauty sleep." Walter walked over to Ralph and enclosed the boy's hand inside his as Toby continued talking. "Sly and Cabe can go in first, then Happy and me, and then after that, Walter and Ralph can stay with her.

"Sounds like a plan." Cabe nodded. "Oh, and let's not try to make this hospital business a frequent thing; at this rate, all of your hospital bills will destroy Homeland's income."

"Agreed." All of them said and then headed for Paige's hospital room. After Cabe, Sylvester, Happy and Toby visited Paige, they bid goodnight and made their way out of the hospital so Walter and Ralph could spend the rest of the night with Paige.

Ralph immediately raced into the room and took the first seat next to his mother's bed. Walter, however, walked slowly towards the chair on the opposite side. He felt as though he was experiencing déjà vu. Cabe was right; they needed to find a way to keep everyone out of the hospital.

Paige smiled at him as she ruffled her son's hair. Ralph laid his head against Paige's hip, and she rubbed his back to console him. Walter placed his palm on top of her hand and squeezed it. "Hey," she muttered after he leaned over and kissed her.

"It's over," he quietly replied. "You don't have to worry about the mafia ever again. Drew's been incarcerated numerous felonies, the loan shark and all of the members of the LA syndicate have been put in custody. They're all going away for a long time."

"That's good." Paige smiled as her fingers lost themselves within Walter's curly hair. "I'm glad."

"Your doctor says you need your rest," Walter stated as he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. He noticed that Ralph had already fallen asleep. "I may not be a doctor, but I know the body heals faster with adequate rest."

"Did she? I'm not really tired." Paige yawned.

Walter chuckled. "I think your body disagrees."

She yawned again. "Maybe you're right," she muttered as he leaned in to give her another kiss.

"As my mother used to say," Walter mumbled close to her ear, "Sweet dreams."

"G'night." Paige whispered as she closed her eyes. Walter placed one last kiss against her forehead and then eventually fell asleep himself.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed. I was caught in the zone, and before I knew it, the chapter was ending.

I did as much research as I could on medical procedures; I couldn't find much out there in regards to what I was looking for so if it looks wrong at all, let me know. :) Even though the Drew saga is basically over in this fic, there's still a lot more I can do so I'm going to continue it. :D

What do you think? Should I end it soon? Continue?


	30. Epilogue

**WriterFreak001: **

I think this is what I'm going to do:

This chapter will be the final installment for Deception to wrap things up for the whole Drew saga. Once I've completed this chapter, I shall commence a sequel series with the same world I've created in regards to WAIGE, but they will be facing an even bigger challenge.

Also, as I bring this story to a close, I would like to say that I have nothing against the TV Drew. Nothing whatsoever. When I started this fanfiction, it was after the seventh episode, "Father's Day." When Drew's character was first introduced, I didn't like him, to be honest. I think that's where this story stemmed from. However, as the series continued, I started to like him more and more. Drew is not that bad of a character, and I think he's often misunderstood. I like how Drew's character developed, and he seems like he wants to genuinely connect with Ralph. He's giving the decision up to Paige and even though he is giving her information about Maine, he doesn't seem to be forcing her. I think it can be agreed that Drew is slowly accepting the fact that Paige won't leave LA and will stop pressuring her about leaving with him.

In any case, I do not hate Drew's character on TV. :)

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><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | Deception

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | It did not take a genius for Walter O'Brien to know there was a connection between him and Paige; with each day, the pull between them – whatever it might be – grew stronger, but when Drew came into the picture, it threw Walter in for a loop. Of all of the things he had ever foreseen, he never predicted Ralph's father's untimely arrival. More importantly, Drew seemed to be hiding something; can Walter and his team discreetly investigate Paige's ex without her finding out? What will Walter do with what he finds? Find out and see.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for some violence as well as brain stuff and fluff.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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><p><span><strong>Deception<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Epilogue**

**~ S****CORPION ~**

Two months had passed since Paige's hospitalization, and she was finally regaining movement in her leg. She was released from the hospital once her doctor had been satisfied with her steady improvement, and resumed her life at the garage with her new family. Since she was still recovering from her gunshot wound, she wasn't cleared to attend any of the cases; she not only had to resume her psychotherapy with Dr. Davis, but she also had to take physical therapy as well.

Aside from the fact that she couldn't join Scorpion's cases until she had clearance, Paige's life seemed to be on the mend. Drew was no longer a problem in her life anymore; because of the felonies he had committed, he had been sentenced to federal prison for ten years. By the time Drew is released, Ralph will be old enough to take care of himself, and Paige wouldn't have to worry about her ex-husband wanting custody over him. After everything that had happened with the gang, she had almost forgotten about the trauma she faced when she was kidnapped by that terrorist a few months ago; in fact, her PTSD from that event was almost nonexistent – however, she was still experiencing nightmares from being nabbed by the Leviathan Mafia.

But she was slowly getting better, and she had Walter to thank for her recovery. Every day she was in the hospital, he had brought Ralph, and they would visit for several hours when the team wasn't on any cases or if they didn't need his expertise. Ralph had finally returned to school but was instructed not to tell anybody why he was absent so he told his classmates he was sick, and they left things alone.

Life seemed pretty good for the most part, and Paige was happy. She and Ralph finally moved everything they owned into the garage, and she canceled her payments on renting her apartment so it would be one less thing for her to worry about. While Toby and Walter helped decorate Ralph's new bedroom by painting the walls blue and giving the room an astronomical feel to it, Happy designed some unique gadgets for Ralph to tinker with if ever he was bored. Walter also installed a small TV into Ralph's room as well. Paige's room was not as decorated as Ralph's bedroom was. The walls were painted an off-cream color, and she kept it pretty simple. The rest of her property was placed into storage with all of the other team members' unused items.

"Mom?" Ralph yawned as Paige tucked him into bed.

"Hm?" She pulled the sheets over her son's body and then brushed his bangs to the side of his face.

"When I get older, can I be like Walter?" Ralph asked; Paige smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Honey," she squeezed his hand, "You can be whomever you want to be when you grow up. Okay?"

Ralph nodded. "Okay." He smiled. She kissed his nose and muttered a goodnight before slowly pushing herself up to her feet. Every once in a while, her leg would throb in pain, but it lessened with each week. As she quietly headed for the door, Ralph called for her again. "Mom?"

"Yes, Ralph?"

"Is Walter going to be my new dad?" Ralph asked with ever hopeful eyes.

Paige slowly walked back over to him and smiled. She leaned close and muttered, "Do you want him to be?"

Ralph nodded.

Paige kissed her son's forehead and then whispered, "Maybe someday." Ralph nodded and grinned. "Now go to sleep; it's a school night, remember?"

"Okay." He turned to his side and closed his eyes. She carefully bent down and kissed his cheek before heading for the door. She entered her own bedroom, changed out of her clothes and slid on a pair of red short-shorts and a black camisole. She brushed her hair and then headed for Walter's bedroom so she could brush her teeth inside his bathroom.

When she and Ralph permanently started living at the garage, she had learned that Toby usually slept on the red couch downstairs, Happy slept inside her trailer that was located in the lower level of the garage too. Sylvester, however, had his own room on the other side of the loft, while Walter occupied the bedroom closest to the stairs. The two rooms that Paige and Ralph settled into were used as storage areas until they moved in. Sylvester had his own bathroom and shower area because of his fear of germs. Toby used the shower in the lower level that the team had installed a few years back when their family was starting to grow. Happy's necessities were primarily in her trailer; she had apparently connected it to the garage's waterline. That left Walter's bathroom and shower within his bedroom for Ralph and her to use. To accommodate everyone's use of Walter's bathroom and shower, Ralph had agreed to use the shower at night, and Paige said she would use it in the morning after Walter.

"Walter?" she muttered as she knocked on his bedroom door.

"It's open." Walter said from beyond the door. She slowly pulled on the handle and pushed the door open before slipping inside the room. Walter was in his bed, watching the nightly news as she closed the door. She returned his gaze and then made her way to the bathroom. Once she was done with everything she needed to do, she turned off the light and walked towards Walter. He turned off his TV, placed the remote inside his drawer and then turned his attention towards Paige. "I was thinking…," Walter started as Paige slowly climbed onto his bed and wrapped her arms around him. "There's a senior division robotics competition tomorrow at UCLA at 1 in the afternoon. I think Ralph would very much enjoy the mechanics behind the robots, and it would give him a chance to see what older students with his level of intellect are using their engineering skills for. It might also give him something to look forward to when he goes to high school; most high schools in LA have robotics teams; he would thrive in one."

Paige laughed and quickly kissed Walter's cheek. "I'm sure he would love it."

"Good,' Walter chuckled and then his facial expression hardened. "Because I already bought three tickets, and they're nonrefundable."

"I'm assuming the third ticket is for Happy?" Paige smirked, causing Walter to meet her gaze.

"What?" Walter raised an eyebrow. "No." He shook his head.

Paige rolled her eyes and laughed as she climbed on top of him and straddled his hips. "I know, Silly," she cupped his face and kissed him hard on the mouth. "I know." As her fingers curled within his hair, Walter's palms slithered around her torso; he placed one firmly against the small of her back, while his other hand inched underneath her camisole. As Paige felt Walter's ghostly fingers trace her spine, she pulled away slightly and whispered playfully, "Walter?"

"Hm?" He rested his roaming palm against the middle of her back.

"What're you doing?" she whispered into his ear as her fingers tantalized his scalp.

"Physical experiment." Walter muttered and kissed her shoulder.

"I can't believe, nearly three months ago, you acted like you were in a leper colony every time I held your hand or kissed your cheek. You definitely came out of your shell, Walter." Paige laughed as she cupped his face and then kissed him.

"Only for you," he mumbled, warranting another kiss from Paige.

"Good answer," Paige whispered into his ear and decided to let the 197 IQ genius play a little while longer. She couldn't deny the fact that she _wanted _and _craved _the man melting underneath her touches, but she wasn't sure she was ready to take their relationship to the next level. Not yet, at least. As her hand lost itself within Walter's hair, her other palm squeezed Walter's shoulder as she trailed hot kisses along his jawline. Walter's lips tickled against the crook of her neck, and as one of his palms ran through her hair, his other hand continued its journey up her back. She melted underneath his fiery touch and involuntarily grinded her hips against his as she released a guttural moan against his neck.

There was a soft knock on the door. Walter and Paige froze as the knocks grew slightly louder. A small voice called for Walter. Paige quickly slid off of him, readjusted her camisole and scrambled for the closet as Walter scratched his head and headed for his bedroom door. "Is something the matter, Ralph?" Walter inquired as he opened the door.

"No," the boy yawned. "I forgot to brush my teeth."

"O-okay…. You know where the bathroom is." Walter laughed nervously as Ralph sauntered into Walter's bedroom. When the boy entered the bathroom, Paige tiptoed out of the closet and crept towards the door. Then she snuck out of his bedroom and headed for her own.

As she waited for Walter to assist Ralph back to bed, Paige realized how careful she and Walter needed to be; she had the intention to tease the man, but the more his scorching touch enflamed her body, the more she didn't want to stop letting him have his wicked way with her. If and when she and Walter decided to venture down the point of no return, the last thing she wanted was for her son… or Toby… or Happy… or Sylvester… or Cabe to walk in on them.

While she walked over to her bed and stared at it, a pair of arms wrapped around her middle and held her close. She leaned into Walter's embrace. "I think it's time we establish some…physical…and sexual…boundaries while we're in the company of others." Paige was mostly referring to Ralph, but there were more than just the three of them living at the garage.

"That is probably wise." Walter agreed and then added, "We can sleep in here tonight."

"Walter," Paige turned around within his embrace and cupped his face, "things almost lead to…other things… only five minutes ago."

Walter nodded. "I understand that you and I are like overly excited atomic nuclei that want," he swallowed, "that want nothing more than to…uh…to…form a new, um, a new nucleus," he paused and inhaled a deep breath, "B-but I can…I can assure you it...uh…that it won't happen here. Ralph's room is next to this one; it would be irresponsible to, um, to engage in such activities when there's a thin wall between the two rooms."

"But?" Paige raised an eyebrow, knowing Walter had something else to say."

"But…, I, um, I…I just need to, um, to hold you." He confessed; she smiled and gave into his request.

"Okay," she quickly kissed him before pulling down the sheets to her bed. Paige slipped into her bed and watched Walter make his way to the other side of the mattress. He climbed into the bed and then slid underneath the sheets. Paige wrapped her arms around him and planted her head against his chest. Her fingers interlocked with his as they shared a short but chaste kiss. "I love you, Walter O'Brien," she whispered into his ear before sinking back down into the bed. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Paige…," Walter muttered. "I love you too."

**~ SCORPION ~**

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><p><strong>WriterFreak001: <strong>

And this story is over! I know there are some loose ends, and don't worry, I will address them in a sequel. :) The sequel will be called "Mind Games," so be on the lookout for it within the next few days. I've gotta do some planning first. LOL

I don't want to drag this beautiful story out longer than it already is. However, I definitely still want to use my world of Scorpion characters! That being said, I'm going to write a sequel that will primarily focus on Walter and Paige building their new lease on life together as they grow even closer together and possibly face other threats out there. And believe me, I've got a big bad in mind…. I know he'll be back in the series eventually, but let's see if you can guess who this next big bad will be. :D

Anyway, toodles for now! I hope all of you stick with me as I publish the sequel. :D


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